Welcome to a Nightmare
by Number Ten
Summary: A twist on the Black Fairy's curse, when Henry wakes up, the quiet town of Storybrooke has become a wasteland filled with crime, casinos, and something dark looming beneath the surface. With only Crystal, Rumple's daughter, aware of what happened, the two struggle to keep the town from falling apart and save their loved ones from a fate worse than death.
1. Prologue: A Happy Beginning No Longer

Prologue: A Happy Beginning No Longer

 _A/N: Another twist on the Black Fairy's curse. If you've read my previous work called "Her Collection," you'll notice that the first chapter is very similar to the one in this story, but that is where the similarities end. Crystal, Rumplestiltskin's daughter comes back for Emma and Killian's wedding, only for Storybrooke to be cursed in more ways than one. Try to picture the alternate future from Back to the Future Part II._

 _All rights reserved and go to the creators of Once Upon a Time and ABC._

"Then it is with great pleasure that I now pronounce you husband and wife." The bride and groom lean in for a tender kiss and the crowd around them erupts into applause. "You did it, Swan," Killian smiles after they break apart. "You got your happy ending.

"That's not what this is," Emma says, with a wink in her eye. "It's something else."

"What, then?"

"A Happy beginning," She smiles.

Killian lifts his bride into the air in a joyful circle and the music plays in preparation for their first dance. Emma begins to sing.

" _Tomorrow is uncertain_

 _Who knows what it will bring_

Killian smiles and joins in. " _But one thing is for sure, luv With you, I have everything_."

" _And happily ever after_

 _Is the way these stories go_ ," she continues. Soon her family joins in the melody as the newlyweds begin to dance.

" _Used to think that's what I wanted_

 _But now I finally know_

 _There's no storm we can't outrun_

 _We will always find the sun_

 _Leave the past and all its scars_

 _A happy beginning now is ours_

 _We celebrate together_

 _A long-time wish come true_

 _What makes it even better_

 _Today our story starts anew_

 _Let villains cast their curses_

 _We can overcome them all_

 _If we all stand strong together_

 _There's no way we can fall_

Everyone is singing now and celebrating.

 _"_ _There's no storm we can't outrun_

 _We will always find the sun_

 _Leave the past and all its scars_

 _A happy beginning now is ours_

 _If we're facing endless night_

 _Take my hand and join the fight_

 _Past the clouds, we'll find the stars._

 _A happy beginning now is ours_

 _Na na na, Na na na, Na na na na_

 _There's no storm we can't outrun_

 _We will always find the sun_

 _Leave the past and all its scars_

 _Take my hand and join the fight_

 _Come and join the fight_

 _Past the clouds, we'll find the stars_

 _A happy beginning now is ours A happy beginning now is ours…"_

Just then the bell in the clock tower begins ringing. Thick black clouds explode out of the face of the clock, beginning to spread through the air like a disease or cancer. The newlyweds hold each other tightly.

"The Black Fairy's curse! It's here!" Leroy calls out, mirroring what he said the first time, many years before.

The bells are heard across town, it's almost like the toll of a funeral procession. Anyone who was not on the rooftop could hear the glass shaking or see the black smoke emanating from the town landmark. Gold looks up from where he is sitting in his shop, the sparkling black clouds slowly making their way up the street. He sucks in a deep breath, his mother's words echoing in his head. At that moment, he wonders if he did the right thing all along.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the shop, Belle is desperately trying to reach her step-daughter on the phone, warning her not to come back into town at the risk of being swept up by the curse. She paces back and forth while Gideon continues to stare out the window onto the darkening town. He knew what was happening and despite everything that he had been through in his life, he was very much afraid. His father had reassured him that their family would be protected, but the young man knew much better than to trust his grandmother. Belle had sensed her son's worry and was attempting to contact Crystal, who has been out of town but was coming back for Emma and Killian's wedding. If there was a chance that the curse could be broken, someone, no matter who had to stay away.

Unfortunately, the ensuing powerful magic made the phone connection faulty. There is a quick sigh of relief when there's an answer.

"Hey B-Belle," a familiar voice says from the other end.

"Crystal, listen to me!" she says in a panicked voice, speaking as loudly as she can.

"W-What's going on?"

"Don't come here!" Belle screeches. She can hear the static and the ground beneath both she and Gideon begins to shake. The light dims drastically.

"W-What… y-you're… breaking up."

"DON'T COME HERE! The Black Fairy's curse… she was not defeated. She cast her curse…"

"I…I'm…" Belle doesn't even hear the words of her stepdaughter as the curse engulfs the house and the family.

Back at the wedding, the party members huddle together, preparing for what was coming. Snow and David cling to Neal tightly. Regina has her arm around Henry while Zelena holds onto her daughter. The wind picks up drastically as the Black Fairy's curse moves towards the rooftop wedding.

"Where do you think it's taking us?" Killian asks, holding Emma by his side. The two remain embraced, fear in their hearts.

"It doesn't matter," Emma says, trying to remain hopeful. "Wherever we end up, we're gonna win."

Just then the black smoke engulfs everyone.


	2. Chapter 1: A Warning from the Inside

Chapter 1: A Warning on the Inside

"I knew I should've left earlier," Crystal mutters to herself as she turns off the highway heading towards Storybrooke and her home.

She's dressed nicely with her hair up, prepared to attend Emma and Killian's wedding. The only problem was she slept late and ended up stuck in traffic. She tried calling home a few times, but no one was answering, probably due to the wedding planning. She knew she was probably going to miss the ceremony. "Ah well, free booze and cake," she shrugs to herself. "Plus, Emma and Killian are finally getting married!"

Crystal hadn't seen Storybrooke and her friends in awhile because there was some legal stuff she had to deal with in New York. She was excited to be going home, to see her friends and her family again. Especially Gideon. She hadn't really met him yet and was looking forward to it. She was a big sister, even though he was now eight years older than her. She still wanted to see him.

She had called her step-mom, Belle, the other night to learn that her dad was once a Saviour and he was fated to face the Black Fairy, his mother, and her grandmother, and she was defeated, allowing Emma and Killian's wedding to go on and the defeat of darkness. Also, her brother, Gideon's heart had been restored, turning him back to normal and a hero.

Crystal makes a turn, checking the clock on the dashboard. Two minutes to six, the wedding was starting at six. To pass the time, she turns on the radio.

"That was the latest hit from Lorde and next up is Ed Sheeran with..."

Suddenly the radio begins to scramble. Crystal fiddles with the dials, trying to get the signal again, but nothing.

"N-Nothing... can... stop...m-me"

"What the hell?!" Crystal mutters to herself. "Come on you piece of crap!" She passes a familiar landmark, knowing Storybrooke is another few miles up the road. She continues to turn the knobs, trying to get the radio to work again.

"It's... too... late...now..."

Crystal's phone starts to buzz on her seat and she sees that it's Belle's number. She fumbles, trying to drive with one hand and finally pulls over to answer it. She turns the car off. She sighs. She can see the Welcome to Storybrooke sign literally ten feet away. Couldn't her stepmother have waited until after she got into town?

"Hey Belle," she says.

"Crystal listen to me!" is the voice on the other end. It's definitely Belle, but she sounds panicked and worried.

"What's going on?"

"D-Don't... come..." once again static is interfering. Crystal steps out of the car and notices the change in the temperature. The wind has picked up and the sky is graying, even though it was much sunnier earlier. If there was a sunset, it would be the perfect backdrop for a wedding.

"What? You're breaking up?" Crystal shouts.

"Don't come... Bl...Fairy... not..."

The clock tower in town strikes six o'clock, she can hear the chimes. Crystal sighs, knowing she probably missed the ceremony.

"Look, Belle, I'm literally feet from the town line, I'll talk to you at the wedding."

"N...No... c-ur-ur...se"

"What was that?"

There is suddenly a loud rumbling coming from the centre of town. Crystal has to hold onto the door of her car to keep herself steady. Her entire body suddenly shakes, and she feels a great darkness overpower her. Her hands light up a bit, indicating something's wrong with her magic. The sky has darkened, and a large mass of black clouds and sparkling dust begins to come up the road at a rapid pace.

From far away a male voice shouts. "THE BLACK FAIRY'S CURSE. IT'S HERE!"

"Oh..." Crystal swallows. Her heart pounds against her ribcage as the black mass comes closer and closer. She frantically drops her phone in the seat and makes a full U-turn, hoping that she can outrun the curse, like Killian, did with his ship. The only difference this time is she has the horsepower. She can see the clouds rolling towards her through the rear-view mirror. She swallows and puts the pedal to the metal. This is what Belle was trying to warn her about. This was yet another dark curse, very different this time, most likely created by her grandmother, the Black Fairy. Everyone else must've been swept up already, the least she can do is leave a little bit of hope to stop it. How? She's not sure, but she doesn't need to be a part of her grandmother's twisted scheme.

The clouds, however, stop once it engulfs the _Welcome to Storybrooke_ sign. It's hit the town line and looks like it hits a wall. Crystal stops, pulling her car over to the side and getting out. She watches as the clouds swirl harmlessly behind the invisible barrier that surrounds the town line. She runs up, hoping to get some answers or find someone who can explain it to her, but it's nothing but darkness. Once she reaches the barrier, she's thrown back onto the pavement. She winces in pain and stares up at the dark curse. She's blocked from saving anyone. She's worried about everybody she cares about, her father, brother, Emma, Killian, Henry, Regina, Snow, David, baby Neal, even Zelena.

"What the hell happened?" Crystal hisses under her breath, not sure if she wants to know the answer.


	3. Chapter 2: All Wrong

Chapter 2: All Wrong

Henry's eyes open with confusion. He can feel that his head is throbbing and his body aches in weird places. He realizes that he's been sleeping on various metal components that are attached to the roof.

 _Roof!_ Suddenly, everything comes rushing back to him. His mom finally got married to Killian and they were all singing and dancing because his mom had a song in her heart that saved their family from the Black Fairy's clutches… except it didn't protect all of them from her curse! The last thing he remembers is clinging to his mom, Regina, as the black smoke overtook the entire town. He must've blacked out after that.

From what he can tell, he's been asleep all night. There is the familiar Maine dew on the gravel and metal vents he was laying on, and the gray skies that greet the town in the morning. It's still hard to see what the Storybrooke looks like. His heart begins to pound in anxiety. He knows what a curse usually does to their town and he's afraid to look to see what might've happened. He's only starting to process the sounds of the town around him and he knows immediately that something is very wrong.

Instead of the pleasant and quiet sounds of the morning, like birds in the nearby forest, or even the sounds of Pongo barking in the street as Archie walked him, are gone. No normal noises of the tiny town slowly waking up for the day. Nothing is familiar because it is no longer quiet, but it's crazy loud.

The sounds of multiple motorcycles zooming down the Main Street can be heard. The only person who owned a motorcycle in town was August, and even then, he didn't ride it very often. There are the sounds of boisterous traffic, horns honking and shouting, something that hardly ever happens in small towns. He hears loud music blasting all around him, bells ringing like that of slot machines and many other noises that just don't sound right.

Henry gets up and tries to go to the edge of the roof to see everything for himself, but there's a large looming building blocking his view of the street.

 _Where the hell did that come from?!_ He thinks to himself. His mom and Killian picked this specific roof because it had a great view of the town, including the clock tower. What the hell is blocking it?!

Henry races to the stairwell and heads down into the street, wanting to get some answers.

Where are his moms? His grandparents? His aunt? His new step-father? Where's Violet?

He finds the building that was once a business is now completely empty, covered in graffiti and trash. His heart beats against his chest as he hurries down out of the abandoned building and onto the streets of the town.

However, the sight that greets him is not what he expected.

The tiny and quiet streets of Storybrooke are now a hellish landscape. All around him are large amounts of flashing lights, neon signs advertising bars, nightclubs, casinos, which explains the slot machine sounds, and other cruder establishments that would make anyone's skin crawl. The streets are grimy and covered in trash, there's not even the sign of a flower or anything green. Any surface of a building that is not blinking and advertising drinks at half-price or ladies' night on Fridays, is covered in graffiti. The slang and slogans spray-painted on include **_Happiness Comes to Die_** , **_Sons of Anarchy_** , **_Welcome to the Dark Side_** , and **_Hells Angels_** **_Zone_**.

Henry watches in horror as a gritty gang of bikers drives down through the middle of town… if it can be even called that anymore. Storybrooke seems a lot bigger, like a city, a mini Las Vegas if he ever saw one. All the bikers are clad in leather, sunglasses, were smoking cigarettes, wearing chains and rings, and had sleeves of tattoos. It's all so bizarre!

Where the hell did all these people come from? What happened to his family? What did the Black Fairy's curse do to them?

A couple of young girls suddenly push Henry out of their way. They are dressed in really revealing clothing, the kind his Aunt Red used to wear during the first curse. One girl has jean shorts that barely reach past her rear and is decked out in a cowboy hat, another wears a fur collar around a leopard print skin-tight suit, and another wears a top with such cleavage, it can't be considered a shirt. All three girls look unbelievably tired, as if they'd been up all night, their hair in a jumbled mess and makeup smudged. All were smoking heavily. He's utterly speechless.

"Get lost loser, no money, no action."

"No… action…" Henry shakes his head, trying to get his thoughts straight her realizes what this probably meant; they were closer to a street corner and he tries to get away as fast as possible.

He pulls his hood up over his face, shoves his hands into his pockets, and tries to appear as low-key as possible. His eyes take in the sights around him with dread in the pit of his stomach. His home no longer feels like it. Nothing is familiar. The clock tower is seemingly gone and so is _Granny's_. He keeps heading in the direction of his grandparents' loft, hoping someone would be there who could explain what the hell was happening.

All around him are advertisements for people to "test their luck" at _Long John Silver's Slots_ , spend time with girls at _Alice's Wonderland_ , and even _Once Upon a Jackpot_! People could stay in _Grumpy's Inn_ , pay money at the _Oz-and Ends_ trade show, and watch crude theatre at _Wicked Opera_. It's all so sickening, at least his great-grandmother still seemed to have a sense of humour about the whole fairy tale theme. He has to squint at all the bright flashing lights around him. How anyone could not get a headache from just standing on the street is beyond him, but it also might be from the confusion and chaos around him. There's a bright neon sign overhanging a long line of strangers trying to get inside some random place. In fact, the whole street is filled with people, he has to shove his way through the crowds to get where he wants to be. All these people are trying to get into these places and it must be four or five o'clock in the morning. He then remembers that Las Vegas was seen as the "City of Lights" and the "City that Never Sleeps," so why would Storybrooke be any different.

The teenager can't take it anymore, he needs some answers and he needs some now! He begins to run, further and further away, trying to find someplace even remotely quiet, allow him to think and sort all of this out. He runs through the streets, ignoring the sounds of the angry taxi and other drivers honking and shouting at him for running into their path.

As he thinks he gets closer to the edge of town, someone suddenly grabs the back of his hood, stopping him dead in his tracks. He has to gasp for air as the force of being pulled back is choking him. He's suddenly thrown against a brick wall and collared.

This person has very fierce and dark eyes, and bad smelling breath, which is wafting right into his face. Henry can barely think straight as his head now hurts and the gruff looking man is gripping him tightly. A couple of other tough looking people, probably his gang members or something.

"Give me your money kid," the man snarls. He's wearing a leather jacket, dark shades, and what looked like what might be a gold tooth… a fake gold tooth; probably there to make himself look tougher. He also chews on a toothpick, but his breath stinks of alcohol. There's something familiar about the way he's talking and his tough personae, but Henry cannot exactly think straight as he's being mugged.

"I... I don't have any money," he manages to say, his head throbbing from being thrown up against the brick wall.

"Come off it, you're the mayor's kid, I know you're loaded!"

 _The mayor's kid…_ does that mean his mom is still running the

"Did you say I'm the mayor's kid?" Henry asks nervously.

"Are you dense? Of course, you're the mayor's kid now give me all your cash,"

"I told you I don't have any, honest."

"You have five-seconds to hand it over or…" the man pulls out a switchblade and puts the blade near the teen's face. "Or you'll be donating blood to the pavement."

"Please don't…" Henry can feel himself almost crying. He tries to remain brave, he's faced a lot worse in the past including Peter Pan, snow monsters, dragons, the God of the Underworld… and yet, he's still frightened to death.

Suddenly, a large stick comes down and whacks the arm holding the knife. It's apparently so powerful, that the thug drops his weapon and releases Henry from his grasp. The teen shifts away to look at who saved him. His heart drops into his stomach.

"How many times must I tell you to keep your hands off my grandson?"

Henry looks up to see his grandfather, Mr. Gold… at least he thinks it's his grandfather. The man's short, graying hair is slicked back, he still walks with a cane, but now it's silver with a jewelled skull on the end of it. The suit he's wearing is also pinstriped, and his tie is gold to match his namesake.

He glares at the group of thugs, the one trying to rob Henry rubbing his sore arm from where his grandfather's cane had struck him. The other gang members help their buddy up, but in the darkness of morning, Henry cannot see their faces.

"Grandpa?" Henry finally manages to say.

Gold offers his hand to his grandson and pulls the teen behind him. He then turns to the group who had tried to rob the sixteen-year-old.

"I'll make sure you never walk into my casino again," Rumpelstiltskin hisses angrily. He then removes a gold pistol from the pocket of his suit and points it at them.

"No get off my property now and if I ever see you here again, I won't hesitate to shoot."

"Let's get out of here Double D," the one who had collared Henry shouts, grabbing another of his gang members who looked ready to fight them. The teenager swallows when he sees brass knuckles on another thug. The group turns and walks down the street, trying to avoid being shot at by Gold.

Henry is doing all he can to catch his breath. His mind is a whirlwind, like one of Oz's famous twisters. His grandfather just saved him, but he doesn't look like his grandfather, at least the Mr. Gold that he's used to. The man who had protected him actually looks older… if that were possible for an immortal. His eyes are still dark and almost slimy, but there's something else there… was it sadness? And the mention of a casino?! His grandfather was a pawnbroker. Plus Gold was not threatening the gang with magic like he usually would being the Dark One. Normally, Rumpelstiltskin doesn't need a gun or a cane to threaten someone, most people get the message very quickly.

Mr. Gold tucks his pistol back into his suit pocket and turns to Henry.

"Grandpa," he breathes with relief.

"Where have you been Henry?" the Dark One demands.

"I… I…"

"You better not have tried to run away again; your mother has had security out looking for you."

"She… she has?"

"But, of course, no one should be out wandering the streets of the city at night. You better than anyone should know that."

"I… I just went for a walk," the teen lies quickly.

Gold grimaces and shakes his head. "Don't lie to me."

"Grandpa, what happened?"

"What do you mean? I just saved you from being mugged by the D-War-F gang, again."

"No… I mean the town. What happened to Storybrooke?"

"Storybrooke?" the older man looks generally confused.

"Yes, Storybrooke, the town I grew up in, the one that was brought here by your mom's curse."

"Curse?" Mr. Gold suddenly sighs. "Henry, don't tell me you're getting into that again?"

"What again?"

"The fairy tale nonsense weren't those sessions with Hopper enough. I thought you'd outgrown such silly things."

Henry is utterly horrified. His grandfather, more than anyone should know about the curse. He was able to find a loophole in the first curse, being able to remember everything by the mentioning of his mom's name, Emma. While the two have never been close, Gold has never gone on to call his grandson crazy or try to hurt him, emotionally at least.

"But… but…"

"HENRY!" the two hear behind them. The teen turns to the sound of his name, but the voice was not familiar, even if it was seemingly relieved to see him.

He swallows a large lump in his throat when he realizes who grabs and hugs him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay!"

She has dark hair and dark eyes, but it's not his mother. He pushes her away in horror.

"GET OFF OF ME!" he shouts.

"Henry, what's wrong honey?" the woman asks.

 _HONEY?_ The statement alone makes him want to vomit.

"STAY… STAY AWAY FROM ME!" he yells, pressing his back against the wall of the building. He cannot believe this, why was this woman hugging him as if she knew him?! He can practically feel the darkness radiating from her.

"Robert, what's wrong with Henry?"

"I don't know, perhaps he's been traumatized by the mugging, he did bring up the fairy tales again."

"Not again Henry," the woman says, sounding slightly annoyed. It's the same expression that his mother used to give him when she was trying to crush his belief that the curse wasn't real and that the people in Storybrooke were not fairy tale characters.

"Why are you here?!" the teen demands angrily.

"What do you mean why am I here? I'm your mother, why wouldn't I be looking for you."

At that moment, when those words reached his ears, Henry's body couldn't take it any longer and he faints against the wall.

 _A/N: LOL Henry has his Marty McFly moment._


	4. Chapter 3: Get Out!

Chapter 3: Get Out!

Meanwhile, just outside of town, Crystal wakes in the back seat of her car to hear the loud noises of motorcycle engines. She had pulled over to the side of the road just outside of town, waiting for the residue of the curse to clear up so she could investigate and find out how much damage had been done to her home. She knew she'd been lucky and avoided being swept up by the curses in the past, but she knew the aftermath of them too well. She'd read Henry's book and been told the stories by her family and friends.

How much had changed? Was Storybrooke gone forever like Pan's curse had done? Were everyone's memories wiped like the one that Killian and Emma had cast, under the power of darkness that is? Had it cursed everyone to be completely different from the heroes Rumple's daughter knew them as? Just like Regina's curse…?

There's suddenly a weird sound coming from her driver side door, Crystal sits up to see some random guy trying to break into her car. He has a leather jacket over a hoodie, which is pulled over his head to conceal his identity. He also wears a ballcap with a wide brim, but even in the gray morning light, the daughter of the Dark One can make out that he has a beard.

"HEY!" Crystal screams, pulling herself into the front seat and blasting her horn to get her point across.

The guy is startled and drops his metal device, the very same device she used to use when breaking into cars back in New York. Needing some way to take out her anger on everything that's happened, Crystal opens the door, still in her nice dress, curls her hands into fists, ready to confront the guy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she shouts.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, leaving your car on the road like this?"

"I was… waiting," Crystal lies, knowing that this person would never believe that she was waiting for a curse to be finished. "For someone."

"Well maybe you should wait for that person further away from here," the guy says. He removes the top of his hood and his cap. Crystal gasps, recognizing the face instantly.

"August?" she manages to say. All her hatred is immediately gone, and she runs to embrace him tightly. Pinocchio, son of a woodcarver, she found him. He too had avoided a curse in the past and he is more knowledgeable about these kinds of situations than she was. "Are you okay?"

The guy in the leather jacket pushes the girl away from him in confusion.

"Who the hell are you? And how do you know my name?"

"It's me… Crystal, don't you know who I am?"

"Not a clue, you're just some chick whose car I was about to unlock and move before some thugs tried to steal it."

"Wait… that's what you were doing? You were breaking into my car, so you could hide it?"

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"Of course, I am, I'm Crystal Millar, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin, I've been to Storybrooke so many times, it's my home, where my family lives; plus I plan to move here really soon."

August looks at her like she was completely nuts. He chooses to skip over the Rumpelstiltskin part and ask this girl further questions. "Why would you want to move here? And you were around when Storybrooke still existed? Sweetheart, you can't be that old."

"What do you mean when Storybrooke still existed? Old, what old, I'm twenty-one."

"Storybrooke used to be the town here. I can hardly remember it myself. My father moved here with me just after my mother died and he opened up a carpentry business, but then the town fell on such hard times that Mayor Blackwell-Gold decided to let a few businessmen establish a couple of casinos here to drum up business. Since then this place has become a gambler's paradise. It's become a mini Sin City in the state of Maine. The place was just renamed Stygian, it's Latin for something, but my father can't remember what. Most people just call it "Styn City" and now it's one of the most crime-ridden cities in America. That's why I was going to move your car, take it to what used to be a police station and have you claim it there. I wanted to get it out of here before some punk steals it... you just surprised me that you were sleeping in the back. But if you know what's good for you sweetheart, you won't move here, but instead take your car as far away from here as possible."

"Hey, Beardo think fast!" a voice behind them shouts. A car of partying drunk teenagers drives past them on the way into town. An empty can of beer hits August in the back of the head and covers him in the sticky residue. Pinocchio grimaces and begins to try to wipe himself clean. Despite how confused she is by all this information, Crystal comes to his aid, grabbing some Kleenex to help him clean up.

"See what I mean?" the writer grumbles. He angrily shoves Crystal's offers to help him away and heads toward his motorcycle, which is parked in some bushes nearby.

"Get out of here while you still can," he says, putting his helmet on and revving up his bike. Crystal remembers that August took her riding on his bike a couple of times, which wasn't hard since she used to ride them herself.

The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin is so utterly speechless… at a loss on how to react. The place she knew as a home is gone, replaced by Stygian… whatever that meant. She lifts up the skirt of her dress, kicks off her heels, and tries to stop August from going back into town.

"Wait! August, what about the curse? What did the Black Fairy do to you? Where is my family?"

"WHAT?" he calls out over the revving of his motorcycle.

"WHERE IS MY FAMILY?!" she screams.

"Beats me princess, but it's best that you leave and never come back," he shouts over the engine of his motorcycle. He then takes off, down towards what was once Storybrooke, into a filthy and polluted looking environment.

Crystal feels tears on the edge of her eyes, her mouth agape because of how scared she was and how chaotic everything felt. Nothing was as it seems, but the only way she's going to find some answers is to enter "Styn City."

 _A/N: Two movie references in this chapter. Can you guess what they are? Also Stygian is Latin for something. I challenge the readers to find out what it is and comment your answers in the reviews._


	5. Chapter 4: Chaos and Confusion

Chapter 4: Chaos and Confusion

"Don't you dare give me that busy routine!"

Henry's eyes flutter open. He's in a dark room, staring at the ceiling… or the open sky, at least he thinks it's a ceiling above him. It's much too high for what he was used to and there are stars glowing above him. They twinkle in the darkness, creating an imaginative and vivid display. It reminded him of the times in Neverland, despite how badly he wanted to forget about being held prisoner by his great-grandfather. Or even just staying late on _The Jolly Roger_ , where Killian would point out the different constellations to him, showing him how to navigate by the stars. Was he out in the countryside, far away from the chaos of the curse? Had he somehow dreamt up everything and it was actually the night after his mother's wedding? Had he tried to find a quiet place during the reception to rest and fell asleep?

He tries to comprehend what has happened, his mind trying to connect the dots on what was going on around him. He feels around himself, realizing that he must be laying in a bed of some kind, with very soft pillows and silky blankets, which he grips in his hands. In fact, the bed is very comfortable. He squints in the darkness and realizes the bed must be king-sized and he's lying in the middle of it. He sits up, trying to see where in the world he was.

The voice that was yelling sounded very familiar, but not the kind that he wanted to remember. He can see the shadow of feet under the crack in his door. His heart pumps against his chest as the angry voice continues with a phone conversation.

"I don't care if you have to do open heart surgery; my son was nearly mugged at knifepoint and fainted in the middle of the street. He also seems to be relapsing into his childhood behaviour patterns again. Yes, the fairy tale ones. He needs medical attention as soon as possible. Don't you dare tell me that I should bring him there? My last campaign to be mayor ensured a generous donation to your hospital last time I ran for mayor. My casino continues to support your quack service because it is needed in Stygian."

 _Stygian?_ Henry chews on the word with much confusion. It didn't sound like a name.

Just then, everything comes rushing back to him. The wedding, the curse, the change of Storybrooke into a hellish city, the mugging, his supposed mother hugging him. It all became too much, and his body and mind just gave up, unable to take it anymore.

Henry feels a lump at the back of his head, where he'd likely hit it when he fell. He turns to one side of this gigantic bed, he can see a washcloth, two aspirin tablets and a glass of water. There is also a chair, where someone must've been sitting, trying to take care of him.

Knowing that he can't stay here, the teen author pushes back the covers and scrambles out of the bed. He lands on a large carpet that feels very furry and smooth. His mind begins to panic a little bit more. Wherever he was, it was not where he belonged. He searches for his shoes, except he accidentally stubs his toe on the nightstand, causing a loud noise. He freezes when the angry voice stops talking behind the door.

The door opens and a figure with long hair stands there. The bright lights silhouette the woman, making him unable to see her face.

"Henry, what are you doing out of bed?"

The woman hits the light switch, illuminating the room which is much bigger and seemingly luxurious than Henry had anticipated.

He realizes that the room is ten times bigger than he thought it had been moments ago. The large bed is indeed king-sized, with silky blue sheets and behind it is an expensive looking wooden headboard that had Henry's name engraved on it. There are two nightstands on either side of the bed, each had a glass lamp on top, that is helping illuminate the room. Above him is a large, modern-looking glass chandelier that looked like it cost more to buy than a house. The rug beneath Henry's feet is white and looked like it was made of polar bear skin. He looks across the room from his bed and can see the biggest TV that he'd ever seen mounted on the back wall. There's a sleek leather couch facing it, as well as several multi-coloured bean bag chairs. Connected to the TV/movie screen is every type of game console one could imagine. Along the wall next to the door that is now opened is a "museum display" of rare comic books and various other collectable superhero memorabilia. There are movie posters mounted on the slanted roof of the room, except for a dome-like structure just above the bed, which has the display of trillions of tiny stars; which Henry now knew are merely LED lights meant to represent the skies above him. There's a bookshelf lined with so many comic books that Henry is unable to count them all, as well as another shelf filled with DVDs and video games. There is also a sword mounted on the back wall near double doors that likely led to the closet. On his right, is a line of tinted windows, making up a wall, that has the shades fully drawn. As he goes towards the windows, the shades automatically lift upwards, motion activated revealing a large city landscape. The teenager can see that wherever he was, it was up so high that the cars and people down below looked like tiny toys and ants. The city is lit up with many different coloured lights that would look really pretty for a person to enjoy the view; if Henry had not realized that it was all wrong. None of this belonged here. He sucks in a deep breath to calm himself.

Suddenly, a hand with a black sleeve appears around his shoulders. The boy jumps and quickly pulls away. The woman… the Black Fairy, stood in a pantsuit, similar to the one that Mr. Gold had been wearing when he saved his grandson from the muggers, only it seemed to shine almost like leather. Her long hair was pulled up out of her face, and if Henry had not known what this evil woman had looked like, she could pass as any other businesswoman in the big city. The expression on her face seemed confused, but Henry Mills knew she was likely feigning the expression.

"Henry, what's wrong?"

"What the hell did you do to Storybrooke?!" he demands, deciding to get right down to business.

"Storybrooke?"

"Yes, the town where I grew up in, the town that you have now destroyed with your curse."

"Curse? Henry please, not this again."

"What do you mean?" he snaps angrily.

"Henry, I thought you'd finally grown out of these curses, dragons, knights and fairy tale nonsense. You know it's not healthy."

The teen continues to back away from his great-grandmother, very much afraid and confused by everything. The feelings of rejection and humiliation were returning; the ones that he'd felt long ago when Storybrooke was cursed and everyone thought he was a freak for believing that the fairy tales in his book were real. It was a painful experience to have to re-live, even his mothers both made him feel awful for believing in something that to them was imaginary. But it wasn't, he'd learned that a long time ago when his mom, Emma Swan had given him true love's kiss, waking him up from a poisoned sleep and breaking the curse that plagued the little town of Storybrooke… his home.

"What are you talking about?" he demands.

"I'm talking about that phase you went through when you were ten. You were obsessed with the thoughts that Stygian was cursed by the Evil Queen and a handful of people who live here are fairy tale characters. You must remember it; those sessions with Doctor Hopper..."

Henry swallows a large lump in his throat. Of course, he remembers Archie, his psychiatrist who did his best to help the boy get over his alleged "delusions of grandeur." The kindly cricket who was a friend and conscience to those he cared about. The one who risked his life to save the ten-year-old from the mines and prevent him from feeling like a freak. How could he not remember…?

"I do… but not with you," he hisses.

"I can't believe you're doing this again. What made you want to run away again? Who did you meet that reactivated this behaviour? I should have had Miss Blanchard fired when she gave you that damned book."

"Don't you dare touch my grandmother!" Henry barks angrily.

"Grandmother… Henry please not again. Miss Blanchard is your old teacher, she's not related to you."

"Yes, she is, she's my grandmother, the mother of my birth mom, Emma Swan."

"Honey, I've told you before, Emma has no parents. You should know the story by now. She was left on the side of a highway after she was born. She grew up in the foster system, she eventually met Neal, you were conceived, she was arrested for a crime, Neal was killed in a car crash, and I eventually adopted you."

"NO, YOU DIDN'T!" Henry yells, getting increasingly angry with each passing moment. He was tired of the Black Fairy calling him "honey" as if she cared about him. He knew she didn't care for him, she was the embodiment of all things dark in every realm. She was the one who cast the curse over the town, destroying everyone's happy endings. That was her job as the villain and his mom, the Saviour, had to stop it. "YOU'RE NOT MY MOM, NOR WILL YOU EVER BE MY MOM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO EVERYONE, BUT I WILL FIND OUT AND PUT A STOP TO IT!"

He then runs through the open door, ignoring the evil woman's calls for him. He had to get away before she tried to use any magic on him. The only problem was, he was in a completely different place. The hallway he is in is long, with doors on all sides that could lead anywhere. He then notices a long winding staircase, realizing that he's on the second floor of whatever this place is. He races down them, underneath a gigantic crystal chandelier. He ignores the fancy pillars that create the front hall or the partially open mahogany door revealing the vast dining room. His feet frantically stomp over the large Mediterranean mural on the floor. He finds the two heavy oak doors, he forces himself through them and he comes out in a hallway. It looks like the hallway of a hotel. Knowing that The Black Fairy can catch up to him, Henry sprints down the nearest hallway and finds gold plated elevators. He presses the button and waits anxiously, trying to stay out of sight. Once the doors open, Henry pushes the button going to the bottom floor.

When the doors open, he is met with a flurry of sights and sounds. He's in the lobby of a Las Vegas type of hotel. There are flashing lights all around him, fancy leather furniture, a large desk made of crystal for checking in and out of the place, bellhops pushing luggage carts around and exotic looking plants spread throughout the room. Henry can see that there are doorways leading to what must be the gambling areas. He can hear bells ringing, the sounds of poker chips and change clinking around, cards being shuffled, shouts of joy and anger. It's all too much to handle and once he sees the revolving front doors, he runs across the lobby, as fast as his legs can carry him and out into the cold Maine air. He picks a direction on the street and keeps running. He ignores the strange looks of pedestrians staring at him like he was crazy and the shouts or grunts they give when they move to let the kid pass.

Henry can feel his hazel eyes burning with tears. He cannot understand anything that is going on. It feels so wrong, but he knew he had to get away from the source of it all. He didn't care that the Black Fairy had allegedly adopted him instead of Regina; he knew it is wrong and he had to find his real family.

…

Eventually, the adrenaline leaves the teenager's body and he has to slow down to rest. He feels light-headed and his muscles are burning from him pushing them so hard. He doesn't know where he is, but as long as it was far enough away that the Black Fairy couldn't find him, he'd feel much safer. He leans against a lamppost and notices that the street he's on is much quieter than the chaos of the gambling city he is now living in. There doesn't seem to be any cars around and the streets seem empty for the most part.

The teen feels some relief that he had found a place that is more peaceful, so he could think and process everything that had happened. He sits on a curb, head in his hands to try and understand what this curse had done.

Suddenly, he hears panting and sniffing. Henry looks up to see a Dalmatian dog sniffing at him. He immediately recognizes the dog as Pongo, Archie's beloved dog.

"PONGO!" Henry laughs, pulling the dog into a hug. "I'm so glad to see you!" He feels relief that there was something familiar of the life he once had in Storybrooke.

Of course, the dog could not respond, but it enjoys the attention, beginning to lick the boy's face. Henry smiles and strokes the dog behind the ears, happy that at least someone knew him and treated him normally.

"Pongo!" a voice calls out.

Both teenager and animal turn to see a very familiar man holding a leash run towards them. His round glasses absorb the scene in front of him, his red hair seemingly gray in the Maine light. He holds his famous umbrella with him. It looks as though Jiminy Cricket was not impacted by the curse at all, the same old Archie, who had just married his mom and Captain Hook to one another.

Henry stands up, just as the red-headed man reaches them, and then wraps his arms around the former cricket.

"Henry?" Archie gasps in confusion. "What are you doing out here? You know the streets aren't safe for you to be wandering around by yourself."

"I don't care, I had to get away from her, she's evil."

Archie hooks Pongo back up to his leash and stares concerningly at the teen.

"Henry, you know as well as I do that your mother is not evil."

"Yes, she is! Archie, what happened here?! What's going on? What did the Black Fairy's curse do?"

"Really, Henry? Black Fairy? Curse? Henry, I-I-I thought we were past all this." The man known as Jiminy Cricket does his best not to grimace. Henry can tell that Archie had changed. He doesn't want to make the boy feel bad for his past beliefs, but he could see that the man was tired of it. His attitude towards his beliefs was more annoyed and tired than gentle and understanding. "Henry, um do I need to schedule another appointment?"

"NO!" the teen insists. "I just have to find her. Where…Where is she?

"Who?"

"You know who. Where's my mom?"

"Henry you know exactly where Emma is."

"I do?"

"She's in the same place that she's been for the last two years. I'm just on my way there now, why don't you come along until your mother finds you."

"I hope she doesn't," the teenager hisses under his breath, starting to walk along with Archie towards an unknown destination.

 _A/N: Henry's room sounds very epic. Please review._


	6. Chapter 5: When Darkness Comes Back

Chapter 5: When Darkness Comes Back

Crystal drives her car into a secluded part of the forest, away from the main road. She then tests to see if her magic is working. Sure enough, it is, and it allows Crystal to conceal her car in an invisibility spell. She then uses magic to change out of her wedding outfit into a t-shirt, jeans, and her infamous jean jacket. Much like how Emma had her signature red leather jacket, which she described as her armour to protect herself from getting hurt by others, Crystal wore a similar type jacket, but for different reasons. While Emma put the red jacket to protect herself from others, the daughter of the Dark One put on her jacket to protect others from her. In this casual clothing, the young adult felt normal, it made her feel comfortable and relaxed, allowing her powers to remain in check. She knew all too well that if she became too emotional or uncomfortable, the dark side of her powers would act up and cause chaos wherever she was. But in this jacket, she felt safe and protected people from seeing the truth behind her "ordinary" façade.

The girl tucks her phone into her pocket. She's already tried calling her family and friends and no one has picked up. She's not sure what this curse has done, but it seems to prevent her from talking with the people she loves. She then begins to walk towards the street leading into this strange city, her mind is still processing the conversation she had with August.

She couldn't believe that he hadn't recognized her; sure, the two were not the closest of friends, but he'd taken her on motorcycle rides before, that should be enough to warrant being on a first-name basis and remembering one another. She becomes increasingly nervous as she approaches the entrance to this weird city.

A large sign is lit next to the street, saying **_Welcome to Stygian, Maine_** and underneath is the caption **_Where you make it or break it_** … A piece of irony flashes in the girl's mind. The format of the brightly lit sign vaguely resembled the one from Las Vegas… What was with the Black Fairy? Did she have some sort of obsession with the City of Sins in the desert?

As soon as Crystal steps past the sign and onto the Main Street, she's practically blinded by the bright neon lights flashing, blinking, glowing, radiating, shimmering, and blazing all around her. She could barely see the gray Maine sky that was almost completely concealed by the towering buildings. Also, as soon as the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin is on the main strip of the city, she is overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in the place.

There are crowds walking, running, stumbling, standing, and generally mingling about the streets and in front of the buildings. Crystal can see people lining up for stage shows and concerts, lining up to get into bars, strip clubs, casinos, and hotels. She sees advertising everywhere, many of the products or events are things she recognizes. She also sees women and a few teenage girls dressed in provocative and scantily clothing; she knew immediately that they were street-walkers, waiting to be picked up by people looking for a good time. However, as she passes the escorts, a familiar individual with blue eyes and thick, fiery red hair who is dressed in demeaning clothing including an emerald bikini, black heels and a black overcoat (to give herself some decency) gets out of a car, tucking money into the pocket of the coat. Unfortunately, neither women see each other, but it would never have made a difference. Rumple's daughter could see bikers all clad in leather and metal, smoking by their bikes or joyriding through the streets causing chaos wherever they could. Despite the overwhelming number of people in this once quiet town. Crystal is scanning every single face, looking for someone she knew; someone from Storybrooke and not this cesspool of sinners and drunken people.

She shoves her hands in her pockets and continues down the streets, keeping her eyes peeled for a person she remembered and who could remember her. She feels so strange, almost exposed in a way from feeling out of place in this massive and dirty looking city, which was ironic since she used to live in New York, which could be just as bad as Las Vegas. She hates all this noise and madness; she'd grown to love Storybrooke for the quiet aesthetic and passive environment. Everything in the town went at its own pace and actually had more action than the average big city considering it was a place filled with magic and fairy tale characters. She wanted to move here because it was where she belonged, and she could finally move on with her life. She would no longer be haunted by her past in crime, the death of her mother, and the heartbreak she felt over her break up with Mason. She shakes the thought of him from her head, not wanting to deal with it right now or activate the dark side of her powers. Her boyfriend, whom she thought was her one true love and apparently knew all about her past and where she was truly from… he dumped her via text message and basically broke her heart. The one positive thing that came from this break up was that she ended up driving here to Maine and finding her father and her family. But now, that fresh start was gone in the mess of her grandmother's curse.

"Hey sweetie, where have you been all my life?"

Crystal feels someone grab her butt from behind. She turns and sees a drunk looking man, maybe in his 40's reaching out towards her. Her first instinct is to throw him against the wall with her magic, but with so many people, she can't risk it. Instead, she slaps the man hard across the face. A couple of other patrons who are smoking nearby cheer her on and laugh at the man's humiliation.

"Don't touch me you pervert!" she snaps. She then tries to storm away from the creep and get on with finding someone she knew and actually respected her. However, this is not the case.

"Hey, get back here you little bitch!" the voice calls, now angry and holding his face where he'd received the deserving smack.

Crystal continues to try and ignore the guy, but obviously, the few beers in his system have removed most of his common sense and his sanity. She hears a smash behind her and glass explodes at her feet. She turns to face this man and sees that he threw a beer bottle after her.

"Didn't you mother teach you manners?" the man slurs. His dark brown eyes are swimming in booze and he's stumbling towards her in an angry manner.

"Didn't your mother teach you to respect women and not grope them in the middle of the street?"

"Shut up!" he grunts. He comes at her with his fist, but she's ready for him. Her days on the streets with her gang taught her how to defend herself with much ease. She dodges his fist, twists around and manages to pin his arm behind him. She then slams him against the wall and presses his red face hard into the bricks.

"Want to apologize?" she hisses. She feels a stirring inside of her, feeling the darkness coming back. She blinks a few times, taking a deep breath and trying to fight the urge to do something evil. The familiar voice… her father's voice enters her head.

 _Go ahead, break his arm… he deserves it. Or better yet, rip out his heart and crush it…_

"I can hurt you…" she hisses, her own voice becoming deeper and more gleeful at the man's pain. "I can make you scream…"

The man whimpers and pants as this girl continue to press his arm against his back. One swift movement and she could break his arm in two different places.

"I grew up in the streets, I know how to dispose of people like you. I can make sure that you never touch a girl like that again…" The venom in her voice is evident.

"P-Please," the drunkard whines, his anger had left him and is replaced with fear. "I…I…"

Crystal smirks at having made this man squirm. The daughter of the Dark One grinds her teeth together as she fights these temptations that were becoming much stronger the longer she had this man at her mercy. When she was in New York, she might very well have done the voice's suggestions. Crystal had been in contact with her dark side more than a few times than she cares to admit. She was angry at the guy for making a pass at her, treating her like a piece of meat, but deep down, she was angrier about what was happening around her and what her grandmother had done. Her family was gone, so was her home, consumed by a dark curse and spitting out… this twisted and perverse world… or was it a fantasy?

She couldn't tell, but as she grips the man's arm behind her, she can feel the temptations becoming stronger. She can hear him squeak and groan in pain. Suddenly, she flashes back to the night she accidentally killed her mother. The night she'd given in to her inner darkness, unintentionally created a weapon and destroyed her only true source of love. The sounds this man is making were the same sounds that Lillian Miller made as she lay dying on the floor of their disintegrating home; her daughter's weapon impaled in her stomach. Crystal remembers the regret she felt and the sorrow, how she watched the life drain from her mother's eyes and felt her go limp and cold in her arms. It was the sound of suffering, the moans of sadness and pain… it was not something, the young adult ever wants to hear again.

The memory suppresses the alluring darkness and evil from her father's voice, allowing her to come back to her senses. She sucks in another deep breath and focuses on the drunk man in her grasp.

"Say you're sorry…"

"But…"

"SAY IT!" she barks insistently, pressing his face into the brick.

"I-I'm… s-sorry," the man cries. Crystal cannot believe that he actually started crying.

With the apology said aloud, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin finally releases the man. He groans and grabs the arm that was pinned behind him. He groans in pain and looks at the girl fearfully.

"Next time you decide to grab someone, you lose the hand!" she says angrily. "Now get lost!"

The man nods, clearly still shaken up and he stumbles away.

Crystal sighs, leaning against the wall, horrified about what had just happened. She'd felt this way every time her dark side came out to play. She shuts her eyes and tries to suppress her father's voice in her head. She lets a few tears slip from her closed eyes and she lets out her own whimper of pain. She hated this city so much and in turn, she hated the curse. She knew she couldn't just keep wandering the streets looking for people she knew. She had to find someone or something, anything that would be familiar to her. Someone who knew what had happened and could remember the true purpose of Storybrooke; someone who would not try and grope or attack her for no reason.

For a moment, she wanted to heed August's advice and get as far away from here as she could, but those people that she cared about needed her. They were trapped here and cursed to be in this hellish landscape. She takes a moment to think about her next step. She starts to wonder if there was still remnants of Storybrooke, somewhere in this city. The clock tower, her father's shop could still be considered useful in this place. There still had to be a little bit of the magical town left, it would be hard to get rid of all of it. She then gazes down one of the long alleys between two buildings. In the distance, in the gray Maine fog, she can see movement in dark looking streets. There were no flashing lights or crowds of people. It looked almost quiet…

Crystal knew then that she had a new direction. Instead of going to the heart of the city, she must go to the outside. She slips down the alleyway towards the quiet parts of town, hoping that for once, darkness meant something good.

 _A/N: Crystal isn't the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin for nothing. There was also someone we know featured in this chapter, who was it? Please Review_


	7. Chapter 6: Broken Swan

Chapter 6: Broken Swan

Henry follows Archie and Pongo along the dimly lit street, towards where he said his mom was now staying. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he remains silent. He knew that if he talked any more about the curse, Archie would set up an appointment for him. It was like going back to the beginning again, where he believed in something and no one else did. At least this time around he knew for sure that the curse was real and everything that was in his storybook was too. He knew he just had to find his mom, try, and convince her that they needed to break the curse again… if she even remembered him.

The two of them come up to a great big, green building, that reached up into the gray sky. He notices immediately that all the windows have bars on them and the front doors have security codes. This wasn't the Storybrooke prison, he knew that; his mom, Regina usually locked the villains up in the psychiatric ward below the hospital anyways. What could his mom, Emma have done to end up in a place like this?

The building has gardens surrounding it that looked like they were dying or overgrown, there were fences on all sides of the place to keep people in, and large black letters hanging above the doorway reading:

 ** _Stygian Mental Ward_**

 _How did my mom end up here?_ He thinks to himself. _What happened? Why did The Black Fairy do this to her? To keep her trapped?_ He needs answers and he needs them now.

"I'm just going to tie Pongo up," Archie says, standing next to Henry at the heavy, almost metal doors. "But I'll punch the code in to let you through."

Henry stands back as the former cricket and conscience punches in several numbers on the keypad. There is a loud buzzing, followed by a heavy thunk, indicating the door has been unlocked. The teenager opens the door with reluctance and enters. He is forced to walk through a security x-ray before going to the front desk. The area is piled high with papers and folders with brown coffee rings staining them and dust covering the old and clunky looking computer. Henry can see a water cooler in the nearby corner filled with green looking liquid and mousetraps in the corners of the hall. An old fan tied with bits of paper blows just behind the desk, pushing further dirt and dust into the heavy air. The place could hardly be described as clean, or even safe for that matter. He couldn't believe that his mother is in here.

There is a face he does recognize behind the desk, Nurse Ratchet, her hair still in the familiar two bun hairstyle and her face looking as sullen and bitter as before.

Henry clears his throat and the tired woman looks up at him.

"Nurse Ratchet…" he says.

"Hello Henry, let me guess you're here to see your mother?"

"Y-Yes,"

"Well I can't say that this it isn't a surprise, you spend more time here than you do at school. It's not healthy kid…"

 _Neither is this place_ ; the young author thinks to himself.

"But I did have to deal with a phone call at three o'clock this morning from your adopted mother accusing me of hiding him. Your running away routine is getting very old kid…"

"I…I'm sorry if my…" he swallows, wanting to not say the word. "Mom bothered you, but I didn't run away this time… honest."

"Yep, I've heard that one before," the nurse snorts. She gets up with her cold cup of coffee and stares at the kid for a long moment. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"My mom kept me out, I was nearly mugged this morning."

"Shocker, if I had a quarter for every time I was mugged, I wouldn't have any because they'd steal it all from me. She's just in art therapy right now. You can go to the _Visitors' Room_ down the hall."

Henry pauses, realizing that he has no idea where he's supposed to go. According to Nurse Ratchet, he's been here a lot and it is assumed that he would know his way around. He swallows a lump in his throat before slowly going down the hall, after the cranky, old nurse.

The place is barely lit, except with fluorescent lights, which flicker every so often, giving him the feeling of unease. It's like this lighting effect is straight out of a horror movie. He takes careful steps down the hall, his footsteps echoing off the linoleum flooring. He can hear whispers behind the doors and even some crying as well. Eventually, he finds the _Visitors' Room_ , which is barely lit by natural lighting and is filled with old board games and faded velvet chairs. There is a poor excuse for a ping-pong table in the corner, which was just two card tables painted green and duct taped together. There is a TV, flashing snow, connect with an ancient gaming system, a far cry from what he had at home. There is a box of old, cheap looking toys and knitting stuff in the corner, with more dust, dirt, and mousetraps everywhere. The place makes him feel sick and depressed; no one deserved to live here. He finds a wobbly card table and sits down, trying to avoid eye contact with the other patients, who are dressed in shaggy and faded hospital robes and looked just as sad and miserable as the teenager felt.

…

Meanwhile, Emma is in the art therapy room, doing as the instructor asked, paint something that gave you comfort. She uses careful detail to paint a white swan on the paper in front of her. It was her namesake and was once considered to be a symbol of herself. A small lost, ugly duckling becoming a beautiful swan… the only problem was, she'd never had that transformation like in the story. She feels more lost than ever before and she would not consider herself beautiful, on the inside or out.

Her mind had felt rather bleak and depressed recently, she wasn't sure why. Her dosage of medication had remained the same and her routine had not changed either, but deep down she felt like she was missing something. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something important had happened and in her clouded mind, she could not for the life of her remember what it was. It wasn't Henry's birthday… nor her own, but those were the only two important events she could remember. And it was not like she could get Henry anything anyways. He had long since accepted that his mom could not make him something and considering what Madame Mayor gave him, she knew it was never going to be enough.

There's a knock at the door and Nurse Ratchet enters the room, spooking a couple of the patients.

"Emma?" she said. "You have a visitor."

Emma bites her lip and moves some limp blonde hair from her face. She didn't usually have visitors unless it was…

"Your son."

 _Henry,_ of course, it was Henry. Why wasn't he in school where he was supposed to be? Emma had remembered the last time Madame Mayor had spoken to her about his frequent visits. She had suggested for his sake and hers that they cut back the visitations to one every two weeks if possible. While it did hurt to not be able to see her son, the only beam of hope in her life, she was too weak to fight and just agreed. She knew that this wasn't healthy for him to be here all day; this was her life, not his and he didn't deserve to see her like this. But there was some hope on the horizon, Archie had told her that she'd made wonderful progress in the last little while and he thinks he might be able to get her some time outside of the facility. While this would be good news, Emma knew that the psychiatrist had been saying that for years now. She'd stopped asking to be released.

The woman gets up from her easel and heads to the door, leaving her swan unfinished. She follows Nurse Ratchet down the hallway and down a set of stairs, passing Chief Bromden, mopping the floors like he always did.

"Hey Chief," she mutters quietly.

But the long-haired man doesn't even look up from his duty and just pushes the mop in circles. Emma follows the nurse until they reached the visiting room.

Henry couldn't believe what he was seeing. The thin frame of his mother, she looked like a shell of her former, happy self. Her blonde hair had lost its shine, her green eyes are surrounded by black circles, her shoulders are slumped forward as if in defeat. Her pretty wedding dress is gone and she's wearing hospital garments under a dull gray sweater. He knew that this was not his mom; the mom he knew was a happy newlywed who deserved her happy ending and her happy beginning.

"Mom?" he says, fighting back tears as he stands up from the card table.

"Henry," she says weakly, forcing a smile on her face.

He runs up and hugs his mother tightly.

"Easy now Henry!" Nurse Ratchet calls from the far side of the room. "Your mother is not in the best shape."

"No kidding if she's living in a place like this," he says, he gazes into his mother's face. The Saviour of Storybrooke looked as though she hadn't smiled in ages. She looked older than she actually was. "Thank God you remember me," he says.

"Of course, I remember you," she mutters quietly.

"Good, 'cause I just looked all over town… er the city, and I couldn't find the rest of our family Snow, David, Hook."

"No, no…Stop!" she moans, pushing him away from her. She runs her thin fingers through her hair.

"What?" he asks.

"I'm not going down that road again. I've worked way too hard for you to undo my progress." She does her best to fight tears.

"Progress?" he asks, confused.

"You know what I mean. Those people Snow White, Prince Charming, Captain Hook none of them are real. My parents are not fairy-tale characters. No one in Story… I mean Stygian is. There's no curse. This is just a regular city."

"Mom, what happened to you?" Henry gasps, his eyes filling with tears.

"What happened to me is I'm getting better kid… I ended up in this nuthouse because I believed you back then, bought into all of it."

"No, this is the Black Fairy…" he insists. "She said she would take away your family, and this is how. She cursed you! Mom…"

"No! No more curses!" she practically shouts. She's fighting back her own tears. Nurse Ratchet looks over at the two and frowns. Emma knows what's happening and signals to the hardened woman that she was fine, just distressed. "I just want to get well so that may be… maybe I can be your mother. Okay?"

"How long have you been a patient here?" he asks.

"You know how long I've been here," she mutters, sitting down to clear her head.

"Maybe it'll help if you relive it," he whispers.

Emma sighs. "Ever since you tried to prove that fairy tales were real by eating a poisoned apple turnover. You ended up in the hospital for weeks…You barely made it through…" She swallows a lump in her throat which convinces her son that this is hard for her.

"No, that's not how it happened!" he says. "Don't you remember? I did eat the turnover, but you fought a dragon and woke me with true love's kiss."

"Oh, my God!" she moans, putting her head in her hands. Her limp blonde hair covering her face. "Henry, please stop! "

"You woke me, a-and you..."

"This is crazy. You're the one who's supposed to be getting better. Don't go back kid please..."

"But it's true!" he says loudly. He cannot believe that his mother's memory is gone completely as well as any hope that she might've had.

"Henry, you were not saved by a kiss. That's ridiculous. You were saved by medicine, by Dr. Whale and by the hospital…"

Nurse Ratchet comes over to intervene as she could see her patient becoming distressed. She has some pills and water for her.

"It's time," the woman says firmly.

In Emma's mind, she's saying _FINALLY_! The blonde takes the pills and water into her hands.

She's about to take them when Henry reaches out. "Stop it! You can't take that! You can't take anything! It might be how the Black Fairy is keeping you from remembering!"

"Henry, just let me…" she begins.

"Look… this isn't right. You're not sick, the Black Fairy is…" He says. "The page I wrote the other day. It means that the Final Battle is coming. The key to winning it is in my book... But we can't do that until you start believing."

"Sorry about him," Emma apologizes to the nurse, who gives Henry a very stern and annoyed look. "You have to stop doing that, or your mother's not gonna let you keep visiting me… she's already cut it down to once every two weeks."

"She's not my mother, you are," he says angrily.

"Henry, I'm your birth mother, but Fiona has taken care of you for the past fourteen years. She's clothed you, she's fed you, she's taken care of you when you were sick. She's given you everything that I couldn't."

"Fiona is not my mom! You and Regina are! Is she here? She has to be here…"

"Who's Regina? As in Regina Mills, the bartender at **_The Rabbit Hole_**?"

"Bartender… Regina is my other mom. She's the one who adopted me when I was a baby and she's the one who's cared for me until I came and found you. Then you both became my moms."

"Henry…" she moans, rubbing her head. She places the pills down, planning to take them when her son leaves, but she does drink the water.

"Please, Mom you have to believe me… this place is all wrong. I heard it before, you know it's supposed to be Storybrooke, not… Stygian."

"Henry…" Emma moans.

"There you are!" an all too familiar voice calls out. Henry groans inwardly knowing that she's caught up with him.

Fiona kneels and wraps Henry in a hug. He immediately squirms and attempts to escape.

"Madame Mayor, I'm sorry," Emma apologizes. "I didn't know he was coming today"

"How many times have I told you, Honey? It's Fiona. No need for fancy titles here."

"Hmm," Emma nods. Despite everything that Fiona gives Henry, an education, a home, food, she still had some deep-seated feeling of uneasiness with the woman. She always seemed to have an ulterior motive of some kind and almost seemed to delight in her misery.

"Now, Henry shouldn't you be at school? I know the trauma of the mugging was a lot..."

"Henry, you were mugged?" Emma says in alarm. The teenager can see some of his concerned mother shining back through.

"No need to get yourself worked up," Fiona says, putting her hand on Emma's shoulder. "Robert took care of it, but I will be talking to him about being out on the streets again."

"Henry, did you try to run away again?" Emma asks.

The teen just looks down at his shoes, answering his birth mother's question.

"Kid, you have to stop doing that, Stygian is a dangerous place, you shouldn't be out there by yourself."

"I know Mom," he says quietly.

"Of course, he does, but unfortunately in a big city like this, it's bound to happen to anyone," Fiona agrees. "Anyways, I only excused you from the morning classes, you should be going now."

The teen opens his mouth to protest but he sees the helpless look on his mother's face and decides not to make this worse than it already is.

"O-Okay, I just wanted to see my other mom,"

"I understand," Fiona says with a forced sweetness that makes Henry's stomach turn. "There's the chauffeur outside waiting for you, now run along. I'll see you at dinner. Emma and I have some business to discuss."

"Okay, Mom. Whatever she wants you to do, don't do it!" he says.

With a heavy sigh, he gets up to leave, then kisses his Mom on the forehead before leaving.

Both women are surprised by this act.

"He hasn't done that in a long time," Emma points out.

"It's normal in his teen years to avoid the affection of any kind, that is odd," Fiona agrees. She then sits down across from the Saviour. "I wanted to ask you what he talked about."

"What else? The Curse…"

"Oh no," the dark-haired woman sighs. "I thought we'd put this all behind us."

"I did too."

"Did he say anything specific?"

"Just the usual; that my parents are Snow White and Prince Charming and all the other stuff. He did mention the name Regina though."

"Regina?" Fiona asks, trying to hide the surprise in her voice. "The bartender at **_The Rabbit Hole?_** "

"Yeah, he kept insisting that she and I are his mothers and that she adopted him from birth, not you. He also talked about that Final Battle again…"

The Black Fairy does her best to remain composed. She knew that the only way to keep her curse from ever breaking and separating the Saviour from her loved ones, was to keep the lies going, the lies that were woven into this intricately designed darkness. She knew that as long as Emma no longer believed, her son, Rumple, would be safe, he would not harm her or anyone else and she could have the future she always wanted for him.

"It's happening again…" the mayor sighs, running a frustrated hand through her hair. "I thought it might be the shock of being mugged that made him have flashbacks, but now I'm worried it's going to get worse." Fiona reaches out and touches Emma's arm, which causes the tired blonde to shudder slightly. It was never her imagination that the mayor of this city could never fail to make her skin crawl. "Not to impede your progress dear."

"It's okay," she sighs. "I'm used to it."

"Well, the only way to help that progress is by prompting you forward. Now then I think somebody needs to take their medicine."

Emma nods very slowly, eyeing the pills on the table, her son's warning still in her head. She shakes her head to clear her thoughts, takes the pills along, puts them in her mouth and swallows with the rest of her water. Fiona grins almost wickedly, happy that she still had control of the broken Saviour… the broken swan.

 _A/N: Please review._


	8. Chapter 7: No Existence

Chapter 7: No Existence

Crystal weaves down the back alleyways of Stygian City, hopping over fences and sidestepping a lot of overflowing garbage cans that litter the pavement between buildings. The once clean, peaceful town of fairy tale characters and hope had become a filthy, noisy wasteland and one of hopelessness too. As she gets further and further from the noise and lights, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin was finally able to calm herself down from what had happened to her less than an hour ago. It seems that her entire world has been turned upside down and inside out. She hopes as she travels further to the outskirts of the city that there is still even the slightest trace of the place she'd wanted to call home for so long.

As she hops another fence, she's met with streets that are crumbling with age. It's as if she's emerged from a fog and soon recognizes where she's now standing. She's on Main Street of what was supposed to be Storybrooke… It's as if she's stepped back into a memory…except the once lively community is now a hollow and empty ghost town.

The town of Storybrooke was merely a shell of its former self now. It seems to be covered in a permanent gray mist/fog, taking the colour out of the once brightly coloured buildings. It was like walking into a horror movie set. The daughter of the Dark One no longer feels comfortable and safe like she had when she'd first come to town. The streets that used to be bustling with people going about their daily lives are quiet with barely a soul to be seen. The place no longer smelled like seawater and crisp fresh air, but of pollutants and smog. One of the reasons for the stench was the full trash cans lining the streets outside of the shops and businesses… at least the shops that are able to remain open. Many of the buildings and businesses she remembers like The Dark Star Pharmacy, several clothing stores, the Marine Garage, Any Given Sundae ice cream shop, and Archie's Psychiatry Office are boarded up, completely empty, and had large closed signs in front of them. Time, the weather, vandals, but more than likely the curse had torn the places to pieces, smashing out windows, chipping the paint, damaging shingles, covering the walls in graffiti, even some fire damage, and overall making them look like hollow skeletons of buildings. It is like walking into a memory, of a life she once knew.

The girl then wonders what happened to the place she was going to call her home... It was unlikely that it fared very well either. She'd found an apartment not too long after she'd first met her father. She'd bought it off Sydney Glass, Regina's former magic mirror companion, for a great price and just a little bribery of the former news reporter. She'd used her magic to transport most of her stuff there and was beginning to make the place feel like a home. The last time she'd seen it was barely over a month ago, she'd entrusted her step-mother, Belle, to keep an eye on the place until she returned. If this truly was what had become of Storybrooke because of the curse, a strange and gloomy place, she had hope that somewhere… anywhere in town, there was something familiar and could give her even the slightest bit of comfort.

She hurries down the street, knowing exactly where to go to get to her place. Her heart pounds in her chest as she pushes herself down the street, ignoring the darkened windows of other buildings that seem to stare at her like sinister eyes. She's scared at what she might find and wasn't sure if she wanted to go any further.

She gasps in horror to see what was supposed to be her apartment is nothing, but an empty lot filled with dirt, trash, and the remains of cement and construction components. There is a sign saying **No Trespassing** and a rusty metal fence surrounding the lot. Crystal feels her heart drop to her stomach and her knees becoming very weak to the point that she must kneel on the sidewalk from her shock and grief. She clings to the fence, not caring about how much it hurt her hands. Everything she had, everything that was familiar to her was gone. Her photos, her jewelry, her clothes, but most of all, her mother's possessions were gone. Everything that she had treasured from the woman who loved her the most was gone, vanished in the black clouds of her grandmother's curse.

The only thing the girl had left of her mother, was the golden, heart-shaped locket that had _Lillian_ engraved on the outside, but this name only appeared when she cried or professed her love. She remembers the first time she had discovered the true magic contained within the locket. She had been crying over her mother and when the tears touched the golden heart, her mother's name appeared as if by magic. Also, inside the locket; the picture of Lillian Miller and her daughter had been replaced by a moving picture of Lillian and her lover Rumpelstiltskin. The couple appeared happy and smiling; it was if a single moment in time had been captured in this heart. It was then that Crystal truly began to accept who she was as a person and believe in true magic. It also wasn't until much later that Crystal learned that her father had made this locket from the gold he spun and gave it to her mother as a gift after she married another man. It was a symbol of their secret love and protected the wearer's heart from any kind of harm, but only if the organ had love inside. It was meant to protect Lillian in case her husband ever found out about her affair with the Dark One and tried to harm her.

Crystal treasures the locket and never takes it off, except when baby Neal wants to play with it. The accessory joined a blue crystal heart that she also wore around her neck; meant to match her namesake. But now, her mother's diary and other keepsakes were gone.

Tears begin to fall from her eyes, unable to control her emotions any longer. She'd stayed strong until now, trying to take in the curse's changes with stride, but now it was too much for her. Nothing was as it seemed anymore. The quaint little existence that was Storybrooke is gone and those who could remember past times were left to suffer in sorrow. She sits with her back to the fence and just cries her eyes out, thinking about where her family and friends were. Were they okay? Did they remember who they are? What had her father done to warrant this curse? How could he be so selfish? Her mind goes to her brother Gideon, was he still under their grandmother's control? What about the newlyweds, had they been separated from their true love and happily ever after? Was Regina evil again? What happened to Snow, David, and little Neal? Was Henry safe? What about the former wicked witch? Were they even in the area anymore or had the curse carried them somewhere far away?

The daughter of the Dark One also takes the time to reflect on what she'd almost done to that man. She knew that what she'd done to protect her dignity and her pride was justified, he was a pervert going after a young woman. However, she had felt the darkness remerge within herself, the power she tried to suppress because of what it could do to the people she cares about. She knows the kind of damage can be done if she becomes too overwhelmed or emotionally distraught, so she takes in a few deep breaths, trying to keep the darkened energy passed down from her father under control.

The cold Maine air causes her to shiver and she curls into a ball to keep warm. Crystal keeps her eyes downcast, trying to think of what she should do.

"Hey sister…" a gruff voice grunts at her in displeasure.

Crystal's ears practically perk up when she recognizes the voice. She looks up from her knees to see another familiar face; Leroy or Grumpy. The self-proclaimed leader of the seven dwarves and the miner of magic under the town. However, in this curse, the young woman can see that he is the garbage man, dressed in a heavily stained jumpsuit, driving a run-down looking truck and grabbing cans from the sidewalk to throw in the vehicle. He still had his familiar beard and infamous scowl, but the girl could tell that something was off about him… but she wasn't sure what just yet.

"You okay? You really shouldn't be hanging around construction sites," he says. It comforts Rumple's daughter to know that despite his grumpy demeanour, Leroy truly did care about people, he just had a weird way of showing it.

"Leroy?" she asks.

"Yeah, that's me, who wants to know?"

"It's me, Crystal."

"Crystal? I don't know anyone named Crystal."

Her heart sinks into her chest, another resident of Storybrooke who has no clue who she was. Had her existence been completely wiped clean by the curse? August couldn't remember her and now Leroy… Did no one know her here?

"Are you sure?"

"Sister, I get around Stygian like you wouldn't believe and trust me, I'd know if I met a girl named Crystal. What's your last name, Chandelier? Are you an escort or stripper? I don't have any money, but…"

The daughter of the Dark One becomes extremely offended what the dwarf had said. She has the urge to slap him in the face as she'd done before. Instead, she watches as Leroy takes out a familiar flask and takes a swig of alcohol. He then grins at the girl with yellowed teeth, making her skin crawl. She couldn't believe what the Black Fairy's curse had done. Not only had this curse made Grumpy an alcoholic again, but also a pervert, like the one she'd encountered earlier.

"You're disgusting!" she snarls. "Didn't your mother teach you any manners? I've already decked one pervert to the street today, don't make me do it to you too." She knows she couldn't do that to someone she knew, even if they were cursed.

"I'd like to see you try sister," he challenges, tucking his flask back into his jumpsuit. "Why are you even on this side of town anyway? The clients are further that way."

"I'M NOT A PROSTITUTE!" Crystal barks. She grips her hands to prevent the dark magic from surfacing and throwing the grumpy dwarf into the side of his garbage truck. "I'm looking for someone."

"We all are, Sweetheart," the dwarf grimaces. "Although, I'd prefer to have a relationship for free…"

This is the last straw for the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin, she turns away from someone who was once her friend and storms away.

"If I were you kid, I'd go back from wherever you came from!" Leroy calls at her.

Again, it's as if everyone in town were saying the same thing, trying to push Crystal out of town. She wasn't sure if this was because of the curse, or just the danger of the city in general. Either way, no one wanted her here… but it was not going to stop her. Not by a long shot. If this was part of her grandmother's curse by wiping everyone's memories of her, in order to keep her granddaughter from helping break her magical hold on the town… the wicked fairy had another thing coming. Crystal was not one to give up so easily or be broken down by some setbacks. She had come here to make this town her home, and by Gods, she was going to do it, even if it killed her.

 _A/N: Please Review_


	9. Chapter 8: Familiar Face

Chapter 8: Familiar Face

Henry sighs heavily, staring at the blackboard as the teacher at the front of the room drones on and on. He cannot pay attention, not with his one mom in a mental asylum and the rest of his family is… who knows where.

It's not like the high school that he's attending is helping much either. The place is just as much a wreck like the rest of the city. The strange looking chauffer had handed the teenager his school bag without so much as a word. Henry could tell that this man did not like working for his "mother," who would? The man acted almost like a robot, possibly under the spell of the wicked fairy to keep him complacent. It could also be assumed that he hated having to care for the teenager as well. When the driver drove him up to the front of the school, all Henry could see was the graffiti covering every part of the building. In fact, almost every part of the school was vandalized in some form or another, on the inside and out. Windows had been smashed and hastily covered up with planks of wood or sheets of plastic to keep the cold out; plants, bushes, and even parts of the school had been scorched in some type of arson too. Henry did his best to ignore the ugliness of the school. He checked into the office, which had a bored looking secretary behind it and the teenager could see that she had a pistol in her desk, likely for protection or some other strange and devious reason. He was then forced to go through a metal detector and a backpack search by a security guard before he could actually go to his class; which was hard enough because since he was the only one with all his memories, he didn't know where he had to go or what subjects his "cursed" personae was supposed to be taking. Fortunately, when he looked into the school bag, his books had the classroom numbers inside and his schedule told him what class he had.

Despite making it to class just before the lunch period ended, Henry feels trapped. This was his cursed life now and while one could argue that he had it made as the mayor's kid; it would never be enough. The young author wants his family and peaceful life back, not this world where he has to be monitored just for going down the street for the fear of being mugged and feels more alone than ever.

He goes into his other backpack, the one with the important supplies inside. He sighs in relief when he sees his Author's pen. It glows slightly when he touches it, but the problem was, his storybook was not there. He then remembers that it was behind a glass case in his room, likely done by his great-grandmother so he couldn't get at it and ruin her plans. He taps his foot, waiting impatiently for the period to end. He can't waste time in a classroom in a desk that had every other student's name scratched into it, he had to break this curse, one way or another.

When the bell finally does ring, Henry bolts from his chair and hurries down the hall towards the front entrance, however, he stops in his tracks when he realizes he'd have to go through the front office and the security check again, he knew he didn't have time to waste with that. He hurries along the hall, past students who either don't pay attention to him at all or merely give him a weird glance because he was running like the school was on fire. He hurries to find another exit, only to find one in another hall to be chained shut, another is out of order due to construction, and the third door is stuck, no matter how hard he tries to push it open. His heart is in his throat as he becomes desperate to find a way to escape. He knows he only has a minute or two left before class begins. There are a few teachers scanning the halls nearby, looking for those who might be trying to skip. He then notices a girl with long brown hair and wearing a leather jacket go into the bathrooms.

 _Yes!_ The bathrooms would give him some extra time to think about his next move. He hurries down just as the girl disappears inside. He does a double take; he is shocked to realize that the girl just went into the boy's bathroom. Confused, but without time to think about it any more, he goes inside as well. The bell rings and the noise in the hallway begins to die down. The teenager breathes a sigh of relief, now he has some time to think without being caught.

The environment of boy's facilities is hardly an improvement from the school overall. The place is filled with cigarette butts, remains of toilet paper, and other strange looking pieces of trash. The mirrors are smudged with various substances and the whole place reeks very badly. Henry goes to the closest sink, which is cracked and turns the taps on. The water that comes out is covered in rust, but he still splashes some liquid on his face to wake himself up.

 _Okay, Henry_ , he thinks to himself. _One mom is in an asylum, my great-grandmother is keeping her there to prevent her from believing. She knows about the curse and will do anything to stop you. Everyone else cannot remember who they truly are anymore, and the town has become a total mess… I'm basically back to where I was 4 years ago._

He sighs heavily, sick of everything working against Storybrooke's chances for a happy ending. Why couldn't they all just live in peace and normally?

He then notices through the reflection of the mirror that someone was missing. That girl who'd come in here for some reason; it could not be for the smell or working toilets. He notices that he couldn't see her feet under any of the stalls. He turns in confusion and begins peering under each stall which are, fortunately, all empty… that is until he gets to the last one at the end of the row, which had an **Out of Order** sign on it. He pushes open the door to find that where the toilet would be, there's a large hole in the foundation covered by a sheet of plastic. He sees singe marks around the stall as well as bits of porcelain, which made him assume that some person decided it would be funny to set off fireworks or even explosives inside the toilet. And then some student scraped away at the foundation until there was a hole big enough for anyone to slip through. The school had obviously not got around to fixing it yet, like everything else. Henry peels back the piece of plastic to see a hole providing the teenager with an easy way to slip through into the schoolyard if he took off his backpack.

Henry's heart skips a beat, he's actually found his escape route and now he understands why the girl came in here, to skip school as well. It's all thanks to her… whoever she was.

The teenager tosses his school bag through the hole, and then his backpack with the more important things inside next. He then ducks down and squeezes himself through the hole. He makes sure to put the plastic back over as he goes. He dusts any foundation or dirt from his shirt and gathers his belongings. He scans for a way to escape and he figures he can jump the chain-link fence on the far side of the school near the parking lot without being seen.

He then turns to see the girl in the leather jacket leaning against the wall of the school. She doesn't seem to notice him, either that or ignoring him, and is smoking a cigarette. She looks very cool and almost a bit scary.

For some reason, Henry is drawn to her; he feels compelled to get closer to her, maybe even talk to her. It was strange because she seems to be ignoring him. As he gets closer his heart pounds in his chest. The girl is in black jeans, wears two silver belts on her waist and has several chains dangling on her hip. Her jacket has several patches on it, along with a silver V on the shoulder facing Henry. She wears combat boots and a skull choker around her neck. Her hair is streaked in different shades of purple and she has a few piercings in her nose and lip. But it's not her appearance, nor the thick amount of eyeliner she has on, that spooks Henry and make him gasp.

None of the accessories, makeup, dyed hair, or leather could do anything to disguise who she was. Her big brown eyes are unmistakable, distinct, and her lips still look very soft, despite being covered in a heavy purple colour. Henry can feel tears coming to his eyes as he looks at the girl. It's a face he could never forget. Nothing could ever change how he feels about her.

"Violet?!" Henry gasps.

 _A/N: Please Review_


	10. Chapter 9: Start the Spark

Chapter 9: Start the Spark

Henry could not believe his eyes. It's Violet Morgan… the daughter of Sir Morgan, one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table and his girlfriend. A girl he had fallen in love with and had been dating up until everything went to hell. Now it seems that she doesn't recognize him at all and become the darkest version of herself. Wipe away the scowl, attitude, and overall darkness and edginess of her appearance and you'd have the sweet, happy, and loving Violet.

She blows smoke out of her mouth and glares at the kid who is supposed to be her boyfriend.

"How do you know my name?" she snaps. Her voice sounded cold, emotionless, and gruff, most likely because of the smoking.

"It's me, Henry, don't you remember?" he asks.

"If I did remember someone named Henry, I'd tell the moron that my name is Vee, not Violet."

"Vee?" Henry says in confusion. "You mean like the letter V?"

"You got a problem with my name?!" she barks. She squashes the cigarette under her combat boot and steps forward with her hands raised, she's about to collar him.

The young author immediately steps back, not wanting to be thrown up against another wall in less than a few hours.

"N-No… it's just… you always liked Violet as a name, it's really pretty…"

"Pretty?" she says flatly. "Buddy, I'm far from pretty."

Henry is hurt, deeply hurt that Violet doesn't remember who he is. She's the first girl he'd ever kissed, the first girl whom he'd really made a connection with, the first person whom he trusted outside of his Storybrooke family. All those memories they shared; listening to his iPod, talking about music by the jukebox, horseback riding, watching movies together, their journey to destroy magic… everything that they've been through is gone, wiped away in the curse's puff of smoke.

"No, you're more than pretty, you're beautiful," he blurts out.

Violet's brown eyes lock with his hazel ones. For a very brief second, he thinks he can see her blush at the compliment; her hardened personae softens and for just a split second, the real Violet shines through again. She gives him a raised eyebrow and a small smirk. She then goes into her black backpack and lights herself another cigarette.

The young author wants desperately to convince Violet of who she really was; that she was the daughter of a knight from King Arthur's court, they rode horses together, she once had her heart stolen by his Dark One mother to break his own heart, she was swept up in a curse that brought her to the modern world, she journeyed with him to New York City to try and destroy magic and magically helped him bring his family back to him by using a wishing well. He wants to say all of this, but like his mom, like his grandfather, like Archie and no doubt, everyone else who once lived in Storybrooke would never believe him. He knows he can't be preaching his beliefs again, it would isolate him, and no one would help break this curse. He knew that if he said this, she'd just call him crazy or a freak and runoff. He needs someone, anyone that he can be close to, even if they cannot remember him.

"Maybe on the outside, but on the inside, I've got some damage," she shrugs. She does a long drag of her cigarette and tries to go back to minding her own business, but Henry keeps staring at her. "Are you some kind of stalker or whatever?" she asks bluntly, letting some smoke blow into his face.

"N-No, why do you say that?"

"Because you keep on staring at me and you followed me through the hole in the wall."

"I was really only trying to investigate why you were going into the boys' bathroom," he says in an almost equally blunt voice.

"Well now you know," she mutters sarcastically. "It's the only place anyone could get some peace and quiet, a place to escape until you showed up that is."

"The truth is, I was looking for a way to escape too."

"Wait, aren't you the mayor's kid?" Violet asks. "Henry Blackwell?"

"Mills," he corrects pretty harshly. There was no way that he was taking his cursed grandmother's name. "My name is Henry Mills."

"So, now who's sensitive about names," she smirks.

"Sorry, I just don't like being associated with someone I don't like."

"Welcome to the club."

"Wait, I thought your last name is Morgan?"

"How do you know so much about me?" she says eyeing him suspiciously.

 _Because I've known for over a year now_ , he thinks to himself. His mind races to find some sort of excuse that didn't make him seem more like a stalker.

"Uh… student directory," he finally manages to say.

"Well, that's just the name the state gave me, how unoriginal."

"The state?"

"Yeah… both my parents are dead… both in separate car crashes. I don't have a last name that will stick. I've been in the system since I was six."

 ** _The system_**. Henry knew those words all too well. His stomach twists hard; he remembers his mom always talking about the foster system and how it made her so guarded and mistrusting of other people. How she found a family but was given back when she was three because the parents had a child of their own, how she'd ended up in a foster home with Ingrid the Ice Queen, only to be picked on by the other kids and have the queen force her into oncoming traffic to try and awaken her powers, how another family kicked her out because Lily stole from them, and how she'd been homeless and basically given up on ever finding a stable life, which caused her to resort to crime and eventually meet his dad, Neal. He himself had been in it too but had been lucky enough for Regina to adopt him and he was given the life he'd deserved at the time. He cannot believe that his grandmother put these memories into his girlfriend's head! Was she as broken and as mistrusting as his mother had been? It seems that way at this point and this hurt him.

His heart went out to her and he could feel tears coming to his eyes. He wants to tell her that it's not true, that her father is alive and he was somewhere in this city like everyone else, but again, that would make him sound crazy. He wishes beyond everything that he could simply fix all of this with a kiss, make her remember everything, but love, even true love cannot be brought about if one partner does not remember the other. This is not the Violet he wants, and she doesn't deserve this life she's been given.

"That sucks," he says as best he can to try and connect with her some way.

"Yay, it does," she says grimly. She extinguishes her latest cigarette and then scoops up her backpack. Henry then notices a helmet dangling from the end of it. He begins to panic when he realizes that she's about to leave.

"The helmet!" he gasps.

"The what?"

"The helmet, what's the helmet for?"

"My bike," the girl says. "Would you like to see him?"

Henry, unsure about how to do this, simply follows her with a nod.

The two students end up climbing over a chain-link fence to get into the parking lot. They walk through the cars until they get to a lamp post, where a black and purple motorcycle is leaning against it.

It's an impressive piece of machinery, even if Henry knew nothing about motorcycles. There were leather studs on the seats, some stickers stuck to certain places, and the wheels' spokes are painted a dark shiny purple to go with her namesake.

"Isn't he a beauty?" she asks, fishing for a compliment.

"Y-Yeah he is,"

"He's a 1965 Mustang, one of the last of its kind. His name is Nico, short for Nicodemus,"

Henry's heart drops when he hears the name, that was the name of her horse! The one she'd always ride, the one given to her by her mother when she was seven before she passed away, and the one that loved pumpkin. It gives the teenager some hope and reassurance that there's still a bit of the old Violet inside.

She puts her helmet on over her streaked hair. She then looks at him.

"You ride?"

 _Bicycles and horses sure_ , he thinks to himself. He had ridden a motorcycle before, in fact, August had been teaching him how, but he was still relatively new at it.

"Uh yeah, an old friend was teaching me how…"

She looks at him for a moment, as if thinking about what to say next. The connection between them was so much different now. She didn't seem to like him, probably thought that he was a nerd or some kind of stalker because he'd followed her and knew her name. "You want to blow this popsicle stand, Henry Mills?"

His heart flutters with excitement. On the inside, he's overjoyed that he can still form a relationship with the girl he was falling in love with, despite how different she is because of the curse. It was almost like her own Dark One makeover. She is much edgier and even scarier than he ever anticipated… Henry begins to convince himself that he needs to break the curse, and while a joy ride with Violet was far from helping, but getting to know her again, maybe finding that spark again and helping her believe in hope could help. Someway, somehow it could show that love was still there and that his grandmother had not succeeded in severing all her grandson's ties to those he loved.

"Sure," he says.

Violet reaches into a bag on the side of her motorcycle and tosses him an extra helmet. Once it's on, Henry slides up against her on the seat. His face burns to be so close to her again, but fortunately, the helmet concealed this, and his heart is threatening to break his ribcage with excitement. He awkwardly grabs her waist, she looks at him for a second but then shrugs it off.

She starts up the engine with a loud rev and the two teenagers tear their way out of the parking lot, and onto the busy streets. Henry's stomach turns several times as the adrenaline pumps through his blood. He holds on very tightly to Violet's waist now, but she just ignores how close they've become as they go off to wherever the felt like it.


	11. Chapter 10: No Longer a Princess

Chapter 10: No Longer a Princess

Crystal continues to walk through the streets of what was once the beloved town of Storybrooke. She couldn't believe the way that Leroy had treated her. It was insulting and enraged her to the point that the demonic voice in her head was tempting her to attack him.

 _Make him suffer_ , it hissed. _Shut his mouth permanently_.

But the daughter of the Dark One knew that the dwarf was her friend and she could never hurt him. While Leroy never treated anyone with much respect in the first place; but the dwarf was far beyond his usual sour mood. He was outright hurting her, assuming that she was a prostitute, and roaming the streets looking for clients on the wrong side of town. She's fighting back her tears. She just wants this nightmare to be over. No one remembers who she is, that much is clear, and it broke her heart, making her feel as empty as the streets were.

At one point in her life, Crystal would've loved to be invisible; be a stranger on the street with no ties to anyone and just another face in the crowd. It's how the first three years of her life went after her mother died. She knew she was a danger to everyone and wanted to avoid further sadness and depression in her life by losing someone close to her. She'd decided to "pull an Emma"; build up walls to keep out connections and love to avoid getting hurt and experiencing such loss again. However, that backfired spectacularly as soon as she started working with children. It was hard to resist their charms and innocence, their eager desire to be your friend and the way they looked up to their mentors made it almost impossible for Crystal to keep that vow of loneliness. Her connections had been solidified further when she found her father and the family she always wanted.

But now… it seemed like all of that had been ripped away by her grandmother's curse. Did the Black Fairy even know about Crystal? Most people didn't, so why would a visitor from the Dark Realm know about her either? If the black-hearted woman did know, was this part of her master plan to ruin everyone's happy endings, making everyone forget that her granddaughter ever existed? Sever the ties she'd worked so hard to build with her family and friends.

"I need a drink," she mutters, tucking her hands into her pockets.

She heads down the gray streets, going to the far side where she prayed the infamous bar of Storybrooke still stood. It would still exist, especially if the small Maine town had become a city of similarly seedy dives.

Sure enough, the sign announcing _The Rabbit Hole_ is there with the angry logo gazing down at this alleged stranger. Despite the promise of swearing off alcohol since her years of being in street gangs, Crystal pushes open the door without a second thought, needing something to wash away the pain.

The place is filled with people looking for an afternoon drink. The sounds of rowdy drunk people are heard and the clacking of cue balls at the nearby pool tables. Crystal remembers that Regina had given her step-mother, Belle cursed memories and she had become Lacey, a barfly who hung around here a lot, much to Rumple's dismay. She can't imagine wanting to hang out in a place like this, Killian had told her that his former crew used to hang out here, and they often could not keep their hands off the women. The young adult could not stand the thought of being groped twice in one day and having to throw the pervert to the floor. Fortunately, everyone seems to be minding their own business. Rumple's daughter keeps her eyes down, deciding it seemed hopeless to look for anyone she could recognize because clearly, they wouldn't recognize her anyways.

Once she makes her way to the bar, she leans on it with her head in her hands, still trying to mask the pain.

"What can I get for you stranger?" a female voice asks.

Crystal looks up and gasps when she realizes who is talking to her.

It's Cinderella. The princess who originated the rags to riches story and who had a young daughter, Alexandra with her husband Prince Thomas. Despite Ella's real name, Crystal can see that she's been reverted back to her cursed name of Ashley, written on her name tag. That's not all, she's being forced to wear demeaning looking clothing that shows a lot of cleavage and other areas of her body. She is also being forced to wear bunny ears, keeping with the theme of the rabbit hole.

Crystal can immediately tell that Ashley is back to being miserable once again. The girl can see it in the blonde's blue eyes, trying to be masked by the imbibing of alcohol, she can see the pain and the distance within the princess. She has dark circles under her eyes; the layers of makeup forcibly caked onto her face to look appealing to customers cannot conceal her obvious exhaustion. Her shoulders are slumped over, and her hair is a dull gold, lacking its usual shine. Her eyes are also bloodshot, likely from crying, and Rumple's daughter can smell that this bartender has been secretly drinking when her boss isn't watching.

"Whatever is your strongest," Crystal says.

"Everclear okay?" Ashley asks.

"Yes please," she pauses. "Don't you want to see my ID?"

"Uh… yeah, I guess."

Crystal removes her wallet from her coat pocket and puts her driver's license down in front of Ella. The woman only examines it for a moment before beginning to mix the drink.

"Crystal is a pretty name," Ella says, trying to make small talk.

"Thanks, my mom picked it out," the daughter of Rumple sighs, yet another person who doesn't recognize her. Crystal had helped Ashley improve her _Baby Time_ activities with her Early Childhood Education knowledge

Once her drink is mixed, the girl downs it almost immediately, cringing slightly at the bitter taste.

"Whoa slow down there Slugger, pace yourself a bit."

Crystal just groans and pushes away the empty glass, doing her best not to vomit.

"Rough day?" Ashley asks.

"You have no idea."

"I know the feeling," the blonde agrees. Suddenly, her phone vibrates on her hip. She removes it from her apron and rolls her eyes. "Excuse me."

Crystal gazes around the bar, looking to see if there's anyone else she can recognize. Sure enough, in the far corner of the bar serving greasy food and beer to some bikers near the pool tables is another waitress whom she recognizes as another princess. With her auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail and the tired look in her blue eyes, Crystal knows that Princess Aurora also works at this seedy bar. The girl wonders where both these princess's children are, Alexandra and Phillip Junior. Were they still with their mothers and had their fathers?

Almost immediately, Ashley begins shouting into her phone which answers her question.

"I don't care about your damned inheritance from your damned father, you owe me two child support payments and if you don't get them to me by Monday, I'm going to have the courts after you!" She then hangs up and sighs very heavily in frustration. She turns to Crystal. "Sorry, you had to hear that."

"Custody problems?" Crystal inquires, wondering if she should pry.

Ashley pours herself a shot of tequila and downs it before answering.

"Oh yeah… I have a two-year-old daughter at home who relies on me to get food on the table and my idiot ex-doesn't have the funds and or the means to help me get there. I pick up whatever shifts I can here, but that leaves me little time to spend with her. I feel like I'm barely in her life anymore…"

Crystal can see the tears coming to Ella's eyes again. She bites her lip hard and reaches over to pat the sad woman on the shoulder. The girl then offers the bartender her napkin to wipe her tears. Ashley manages to smile weakly and wipes away the evidence of her crying as it was smudging her makeup. Crystal now knew that the only reason she could see the black circles under the blonde's eyes over all that makeup was that the poor woman was crying continuously.

"I'm so sorry," the girl manages to say quietly.

"It's all right, at least I don't have it as bad as A over there."

"A?"

Ashley points to Aurora, who is now collecting empty beer cans from a nearby table. Some guy grabs her butt and the former royal smacks his hand away. Considering the slumbering princess was never brought over with the first curse, of course, she would have a new identity this time around.

"Her husband went missing one day, gone without a trace and now she's battling custody for her son against the guy's parents and she's losing because she can't afford it."

"That's awful."

"Sure is,"

"Shouldn't the police be looking for him?"

Ashley snorts. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Crystal swallows and merely nods.

"Well, in Stygian, there are no police. It's one of the most crime-ridden cities in America and it's because the fuzz are all corrupt morons who do whatever they want and will accept a bribe if it furthers their chances at the cards table."

"Shouldn't someone do something about it?"

"Sure, if you want to talk to Fiona Blackwell, the mayor, I'm sure she'll listen to your complaint," Ashley mutters sarcastically.

Aurora comes up to the table and pulls a handful of cash from her apron. She too is forced to wear bunny ears and revealing clothing for the sake of the bar.

"Anything good?" Ashley asks.

"Fifty cents and a poker chip are all I get for serving those jerks," the auburn-haired girl mopes. She slams her tray down on the bar in frustration, rattling the glassware. "And all because I wouldn't let them touch me."

Crystal watches as Aurora fiddles with the wedding band around her finger several times before speaking again. "It's like this golden band means nothing anymore!"

"Have you heard anything from the P.I. about finding Phillip?" Ashley asks.

"Nothing, it's as if he just vanished into thin air," Aurora moans, wiping her sad blue eyes with her arm.

 _He probably did_ , the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin thinks to herself. _Damned curse_.

"They'll find him, honey, I know they will," Ashley says, forcing herself to sound reassured and confident.

"I hope so," the other waitress whimpers sadly.

Crystal can't stand to see them like this any longer. She knows she has to do something, anything to help. She slams cash down for the drink, plus a tip, and exits without another word to either princess.

Despite the alcohol in her system, the daughter of the Dark One is starting to better understand the purpose of this curse. It's to separate everyone from their loved ones and have them lose hope in anything and everything in their lives. Destroy the happy endings and prevent the Final Battle from ever taking place. But Crystal had one thing that no one else did, her energy ability. She was going to do something to help Aurora and everyone else. She's so focused on the new-found goal that she fails to notice a motorcycle pulling up in front of _The Rabbit Hole_ and two riders getting off, one of them with the same determination and objective as she did.

 _A/N: Please follow and review, it really helps me out._


	12. Chapter 11: Darkened Soul

Chapter 11: Darkened Soul

"What are we doing here?" Henry asks, removing his helmet as Violet pulls her bike to a stop in front of _The Rabbit Hole_ bar. He'd known about this place for as long as he'd lived in Storybrooke, it was right next to Archie's psychiatry office, but both his mothers kept him as far away from it as possible because of how seedy the place could be. After all, there were often pirates, outlaws, and Vikings that frequented the location when looking for a quick drink, no place for a 14-year-old to be hanging out, let alone two. And if the city is as bad as Violet says it is, this place is even more dangerous than before.

"Why do you think people come to bars?" Violet asks, letting her purple hair blowing in the wind. Henry's heart is set aflutter at this vision of his girlfriend in this cool and collected state. He continues to stare at her, until she glares at him, signalling to him that he was being creepy.

"But it's against the law for us to drink," he protests.

"Are you stupid or something? There's no law around here, the cops don't care if a two-year-old is sitting in there sucking on a beer bottle. Besides, I thought you were cool."

This takes the teenager by surprise and he swallows hard. He doesn't want to lose Violet already. They had started to make a connection, despite how conflicting her new personality was. It's hard for Henry to picture her as something other than the sweet, demure daughter of a knight he'd met in Camelot. He knows he shouldn't be taken in by peer pressure, something his mom Regina had warned him about, but at this moment… he just wants to be with his girlfriend, he doesn't want to lose her, and therefore, he's going to have to give in to that pressure. Besides, who would find out anyway?

"I…I am cool, I just usually don't go to this bar. S-Since I live in that casino hotel with my…" he swallows hard at the thought of thinking of Fiona as his mother. "Mom, so there are bars everywhere and I can get a drink whenever I want."

"Sweet," her brown eyes light up in excitement. "That means your liquor is so much better than this place. You are so lucky Henry, I usually have to hide in the alleyway to drink my booze."

"But I thought you said the cops didn't care?" he asks in confusion.

"They don't, and the owner of the bar is a friend of mine, so usually it doesn't matter, but social services do and if they see me drinking, they'll send me to juvie."

The young author nods as if he understood.

"Come on back, the owner starts her shift right about now and I always get the pick of the bottles."

The biker girl and the "reluctant rebel" make their way around to the alleyway beside the bar, next to the Purbeck Shoe Store and Archie's Psychiatry office. They come to the door that likely leads to the kitchen because of the sound of the dishes clattering and fried food sizzling on the grill. Violet gives five knocks in a distinct pattern. The two wait a few moments until the door opens to a surprise that completely floors Henry.

Standing in the doorway is his mother, Regina Mills… Except she doesn't look like his strong, confident, and edgy mother he's used to, who always wears strong makeup and pantsuits. Instead, he sees a broken and tired-looking woman. There are deep dark circles under her eyes, indicating she's had very little sleep for a long time, her usually perfectly styled dark brown hair is now pulled up into a messy ponytail and she's wearing a dirty and stained t-shirt with torn jeans. Her once proud and queenly posture has given way to slumped shoulders as if she's been carrying a heavy burden for a long time and there's no trace of a smile at all. She wears big hoop earrings, long silver chains and rings on her fingers, along with boots with chains around the ankles, as if signifying she's a prisoner of some kind… which she likely was.

Henry cannot believe what he is seeing, like the weakened and hopeless state of his birth mother in the asylum, his adopted mother also appears to have given up hope of any kind. Her cheeks shine as though she's just recently been crying, and her arms are covered in scars… scars that he'd never seen before. She also chews a big wad of gum and snaps a bubble in the teenagers' faces before speaking to them.

His mouth hangs open in utter surprise as Regina seems to completely ignore the boy she'd raised and focus her attention on the biker.

"Like clockwork Vee," she said, her voice devoid of emotion or authority like it usually was.

"Anything good today?"

"We just got a fresh shipment of gin. You want to come into the back cellar and look?"

"You know I do," Violet says, pushing past Regina and disappearing inside the bar, leaving mother and son alone in the alleyway.

Henry is still completely speechless, but Regina looks the young teenager up and down with annoyance and disapproval written all over her face.

"So Violet finally found some lackey to go along with her drinking binges?"

"L-Lackey?" he stammers, trying to focus on the situation in front of him.

"Yeah, you, what did she promise you? Half? A sip? A couple of cigarettes? A night in bed?"

The young author is horrified by what has just come out of his mother's mouth. He takes a step back and blinks extremely hard, still trying to comprehend who was in front of him.

"What's up with you, Kid? You look like you've seen a ghost. Is this the first time you've rebelled against your mother's rules"

"K-Kid?" he asks, his heart sinking into his stomach almost immediately. _Mother?_ She was his mother, had been for fourteen years. "D-Don't you know who I am?"

"Sure, I do, you're Mayor Blackwell's kid… Harry something…"

Henry's eyes immediately fill with tears and his face contorts into horror and heartbreak. She's forgotten all about him… the child she named after her beloved father! The pain is so great that his hands begin to shake. He tries fighting the tears, not wanting to seem weak and helpless in front of Violet and now Regina, but he can't help it. The curse had ripped away his mother's memories of him… of her raising him and loving him as if her very own. It was true that for the longest time, he had loathed her very existence, her being the Evil Queen at the time and making him feel like a freak for believing in fairy tales and the curse. He loved his mother with all his heart and soul, in fact, it was their true love that had broken the second curse that once plagued the town. But now, he was just some annoying kid to her, no memories of love to be found.

"Henry…" he says weakly, swallowing the largest lump in his throat.

"Yeah, that's right, Henry. Like my dad's name. Anyway Henry, why are you hanging out with someone like Vee? What's wrong with you?" she asks, raising her eyebrow and popping her gum.

"What's wrong with Violet?"

"Vee," Regina corrects. "Don't be caught calling her Violet, I learned that the hard way. And what's wrong with her? She's a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, she's part of a biker gang. She smokes a pack of cigs a day and drinks during the day."

"Well, you let the last one happen," he points out, still fighting his tears.

"Only because I know booze is the only escape from pain,"

"How… how do you know that?"

"I've lost as much as she had. I'm an orphan too, but luckily, I wasn't in the system like she is, which makes it ten times worse for her. I lost both my parents in a drive-by shooting and my one true love in a freak accident."

"Robin?" he ventures.

"No, Daniel. He and I were planning to leave this crappy town behind and start a new life together, but a stupid…" she stops short, now on the verge of tears herself. She chews her wad of gum a lot harder, biting her lip in the process. She sniffles back the emotion and pulls a flask from her back pocket and takes a swig from it. This scene eerily mirrors what Leroy used to do back during the first curse.

This frightens Henry immensely, Sure he would see his mom drink a glass of wine once and a while, but never do hard-drinking like this, that was more up Killian's alley. He can smell the strong scent of whiskey in the flask as she wipes her mouth, using the alcohol to force her emotions back inside herself as she'd often done as the Evil Queen. He also sees that she's back to where she was four years ago… a broken, angry woman with no love in her life… pining after Daniel, instead of Robin. It's true that she'd tragically lost them both, but she was strong enough to overcome every obstacle that came her way… now she seemed to be avoiding them and drinking her pain away.

"That damned Blackwell's car…" she hisses.

Before Henry can ask for more information, Violet returns with two bottles of gin clutched in her arms. "Bombay Sapphire, you're the best Regina," she says brightly.

"Anything for my best customer," the former Evil Queen then reaches into Violet's leather jacket pocket and removes a wad of cash. She sorts through the bills until she counts the right amount and gives the rest back to the purple-haired teen. "Do me a favour, will you? Keep this kid away from the bottle. Give the second one to Junkyard or Graves, leave him out of the drinking game." She stares at him for a long moment, as if trying to recognize his face. "He's a got a bright future ahead of himself, may even be able to get the chance to leave this dump of a town, so don't pull him into our ways…"

Henry looks on in amazement, realizing that the mothering instinct was still inside of her… it was much looser and more careless than it was before, but it was still there. He wants more than anything to run over and wrap his arms around her again. Give her true love's kiss and break this awful curse, but he knows all too well the limits to this guideline. Both parties must remember the other before this can work and it is clear that Regina Mills, the true mayor of Storybrooke, doesn't remember loving her own son. He opens his mouth to say something, but then just shuts it again.

"You're right," Violet agrees. "Besides, I didn't ask him to come along, he was sort of stalking me and asked for a ride."

"Better than the stabber you bought the last time," the brunette says, revealing a very clear scar that resembled a healed stab wound. "Stay off the main streets you two." She then ruffles Violet's hair and then goes inside to start her shift at the bar.

Henry lets out a breath in frustration and utter despair. He cannot believe what his great-grandmother had done to everyone, it makes him sick to his stomach. His hands are shaking, and right now he doesn't care if he looks like a wuss in front of his girlfriend. The loss of his other mother has hurt, and she's as bitter and as broken as she was before she'd adopted him.

"What's the matter with you?" Violet asks, her voice also devoid of emotion or sympathy for the pain Henry is clearly expressing in front of her.

"N-Nothing, just… seeing Regina brought up a lot of bad memories," he lies.

Violet seems to accept that, in fact, her interest has been peaked. "Really, your mom and she have a history, I guess it expands to you too huh?"

"History? What do you mean?"

"You seriously don't know?" she asks as she puts the bottles of gin in her backpack and the two of them walk back to her bike.

"I… must've blocked it out," he lies again.

"Well, why don't you come and meet the gang and I'll refresh your memory," she suggests, climbing back onto her bike.

Henry is reluctant to follow her, but now that his mother no longer remembers him, he might need a sip of that gin after all. He shoves the helmet on and climbs back onto the bike. The pain is too great to handle right now, and anything to numb the pain and make him forget would be useful.

"Sure hope you can hold your gin rich boy," she yells as they both speed off to another unknown destination.

 _A/N: Henry now knows the kind of pain Crystal is going through, having someone you love to forget who you are. Please review and give suggestions for the story, I'm open to brainstorming. Special shout out to Jamie OUAT for her comment, please keep them coming._


	13. Chapter 12: Location, Location, Location

Chapter 12: Location, Location, Location

Crystal takes off down the street across to the sheriff's station, knowing she's going to have to do something to help Aurora. The princess is going to lose her son if she doesn't act fast, and this will, in turn, strengthen her grandmother's curse. She figures the best place to start is at the place of law, despite what she's heard from everyone about Stygian having no real laws or police officers. At this point, she really doesn't care and just wants someplace quiet to think.

Unsurprisingly, the place is pretty much shut down with chains around the front doors and boards covering the windows. Graffiti covers the outside of the station as well, most of it using the slang "pigs" in it. It disgusts her how far the city has fallen in this curse. The world just seems to be getting worse and worse.

Crystal goes around the back entrance of the place and uses her magic to unlock the door. When she enters, she's hit with the awful smell of must and mildew. She looks around the darkened station, remembering when she'd sometimes drop by to visit Emma and David, bringing them coffee and food whenever she felt like it. The place is now covered in dust and cobwebs, spiders mostly making their homes between the bars of the holding cells. Emma's office windows are completely shattered, all the furniture has been turned over or destroyed and even the interrogation window is gone, which is often hard to do. Crystal navigates around everything until she comes to Emma's office; she finds the map of Storybrooke that hung behind the blonde's desk is torn in half and the flags of Maine and America are faded and ratted. She finally opens the filing cabinets and begins flipping through them, hoping for a break. If the curse was as detailed as she thinks it is, there might be a chance that Phillip's missing person's file would be in here, even if the station isn't in use anymore.

Without much success in the first drawer, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin tries the next one, looking through the dates. With some great relief, she finds Phillip's name as Phillip Jacobs with a big red circle around it and writing scrawled next to it saying _Cold, Close as soon as possible_.

Crystal conjures up a light orb to illuminate the room for her. It hovers over her shoulder as she scans the document, which is not very thick. She doesn't need to know the details, just the prince's last known location, but apparently, she can't help but read some of his made-up backstories. According to the curse, Phillip's background included the fact that he was a veteran who served in the army outside of Stygian. One of the suggested reasons for his disappearance was due to post-traumatic stress and that the crime-ridden city was too much for him. Another suggested reason was gang violence. Rumple's daughter prayed that neither of these was true. Hopefully, her magical sight can do the rest and she can find this missing prince.

Phillip disappeared right on the edge of town; he had been at the park with his son, "one moment he was there and the next he wasn't…" says one of the witness statements, leaving Phillip Jr. all alone in his stroller and his dog tags from his time in the army on the ground. Crystal quickly opens up the bag containing the evidence and then looks at the location. The prince had vanished where Henry's castle playground stood… if it was still there of course. With this new curse, almost anything was possible. She then realizes she might need some backup. Knowing that Regina and her father always kept emergency locator potions in the sheriff's office just in case they had to search for someone. She uses her sight to detect magic in the station. She goes to one of the upturned desks with its legs sticking up in the air, removes the false bottom of one of the drawers and finds several bottles of said potion. Grabbing one of them, she then hurries off to her destination.

…

Her hike eventually brings her to what remains of Henry's castle playground. What it seemed like a manipulative gesture on Regina's part at the time had become a well-loved place for the children of Storybrooke. Even Crystal would take the time to walk by it or sit on the swings when she wanted some peace and quiet. Now, it's rusty and dilapidated. More graffiti covers the structure and the wilderness has claimed back some of the space, but it seems relatively untouched due to it still being in the woods. She wishes beyond all belief that she could use her magic to bring the place back to life, but for now… she has to remain low-key and not give away her existence to her grandmother or the fact that she's actively trying to break the curse.

She lets her vision take over and searches the area, trying to find Aurora's true love. Sadly, it doesn't work, no matter how hard she concentrates. There would likely be no trail as none of this actually happened and the curse probably wiped away any trace of energy anyways.

"Plan B," she says to herself quietly. She knows she has to get this done before the sun goes down, which is still shielded by the clouds.

Whipping out the potion, Crystal pours it on the dog tags, praying that it will work since they "allegedly" belong to the prince. At first… nothing happens. The daughter of the Dark One then waves her hand over the tags, hoping her magic will get a jump-start on it. Sure enough, the tags leap into the air and begin moving.

"Now you're talking," she breathes in relief, shoving the remaining potion into her coat pocket.

She follows the tags for quite some distance, going further and further into the woods. It begins to get darker and harder to navigate the thickened brush and going around trees.

Eventually, the dog tags go towards a very large house, also on the outskirts of town. It looks like a mansion… the perfect place to hide a missing person.

Crystal pushes through the heavy wrought iron gate and up the stone steps to the house. The tags drop to the ground in front of the door. Picking them up, Crystal's heart beats quickly, knowing she's going to help someone. She tries using her magic to open the door, but something immediately deflects it, making her hand burn.

 _A protection spell, no doubt Grandma had a hand in his "disappearance" … more like a kidnapping_. _Who else would put a protection spell on this abandoned mansion?_

She tries more complicated spells, trying to bypass the magical security. She wonders what the problem may be and her hands glow a bright purple, the colour she likes and thinks of as her good magic.

Something clicks in her mind, maybe it's deflecting light magic or good magic. She knows what's going to have to happen to get inside. She reaches deep inside herself, thinking about all the anger and pain that is inside her. The dismal and sinister emotions that she tries to suppress every day of her life. Her mind flashes to that tragic night when she lost her mother and attempts to recapture those moments of dreaded emotions.

 _Miss me?_ The voice asks with glee.

"Hardly, but I need my dark magic," she whispers.

 _Once again, I am needed. It's such a nice feeling to be desired so often._

"Yeah, I guess I have to go back to my dark self more than once this time." She pauses and sighs deeply. "I need you to flow through me, to protect me while I unlock the door."

 _That I can do._

"Okay…" Crystal says. She closes her eyes and concentrates very hard. Her mind clouds with the dark images of her past. She puts her hand on the knob of the door. She can feel it starting to burn, but it's not as intense as it could be. She lets that ominous energy flow through her. She can feel the entire door creak and shake from her power.

The door unlocks, and Crystal slowly passes through the sort of dark protective field surrounding the frame. She then shuts it behind her and thinks about her mother again. Finding that light that her father always talked about, the power that kept her balanced.

The place is dusty and filled with cobwebs, but still well-kept. It was like walking back in time, everything was seemingly untouched. She assumed that it was because the house was out in the middle of nowhere, so no one had the time or energy to find and destroy the place.

"Now, let the magic do the rest," she says to herself. She lets her vision take over and she walks into the foyer of the mansion, a crystal chandelier covered in spider webs hangs above her and sways back and forth as if there is a breeze nearby.

She looks around, walking deeper inside the place until…

She sees a human form on the second floor, its energy glowing and its heart still beating, but slowly.

"Phillip!" Crystal gasps.

She races up the elegant and carpeted stairs to the second floor. She races along the upstairs landing until she reaches the door. Detecting dark magic again, she reaches deep down inside herself and passes through the barrier.

The room is very dark; the curtains are drawn over the windows that it's almost impossible to see. Crystal finds the light switch and illuminates the room, blinking hard and spots the human shape and energy across the room.

The motionless missing prince lays on top of the covers of a four-poster bed as if he'd simply been placed there, which he likely had been. His hands lay over his chest and his rescuer could faintly see that they were moving up and down with his breathing. He's dressed in an army green uniform, with a gray shirt under the military jacket and boots still on his feet. He looks as though he's never been touched or attacked by anything; it was likely that the curse just poofed him here without a second thought. She runs past an old grand piano on one side of the room and an elaborate looking fireplace on the other. The bed lay next to the window, the blue curtains were tightly drawn to hide the missing person.

"PHILLIP!" Crystal yells. She reaches the prince and tries to wake him. She shakes his shoulders and yells his name a few more times, but nothing happens. She even gently slaps the side of his face trying to get him to stir.

For a second, she fears the worst, but then she takes his pulse, it's beating very faintly. Her vision examines his royal blue-coloured energy and his heart is beating slowly as if he is in hibernation.

"Sleeping curse," she realizes. The Black Fairy must have put him under one to make him appear unconscious or worse. She probably did this to him to avoid having to feed a captive and knowing that he wouldn't try to escape. Fortunately, some well-known magic would help awaken him and put a worried princess's mind at ease.

The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin feels great relief that she's found Phillip, now Aurora would not lose their son and a happy couple would be reunited. She knew even a bit of happiness would weaken her grandmother's curse.

She pauses for a moment, thinking about how she's going to get Phillip out of here and how would she explain to anyone how she found it.

This mansion could be very useful to her, a place to stay and hide while waiting out the curse, so she doesn't want to give away its location.

Thinking of a quick story, Crystal poofs her and the sleeping handsome out of the room and down in front of the house. She then casts a glamour spell and protection spell around the mansion to keep it hidden from any dark fairies.

The two then teleport down to the beach, where Crystal conjures up a ratted old boat and beaches it in the rocks and sand. She then makes Phillip look very wet and if he'd been at sea. She then picks up her phone and dials 911.

 _A/N: Please review, it makes me feel supported._


	14. Chapter 13: Lost

Chapter 13: Lost

Henry clings to Violet's hips as her motorcycle weaves through traffic. The honking of angry motorists surrounds them as she treats the vehicles as obstacles on a course, things to avoid in order to get ahead. His heart is pounding against his chest as he watches the depressing landscape surrounding him. If he had been walking the lights and sounds of Stygian would overwhelm his eyes and ears, making him feel even more lost and confused. However, on the back of his supposed girlfriend's bike, all he can hear is the revving of the engine, all other sounds become background noise, like a muted hum as they speed along through the streets. The colours and lights of nearby clubs, casinos, and bars blur together to make an endless sea of hues, tints, and shades of coloured light. It could almost be described as the world's largest light painting, with no meaning and no sense of humanity's eyes or mind. They hardly need to stop at any stop lights as Violet runs all the yellow ones she can, which is fine by Henry, the less he has to think about things, the happier he is.

This plain of existence on the city roads is almost relaxing to his current anxiety and realization that his family is virtually doomed in every sense of the word. His one mother is in a psychiatric hospital, broken and void of belief and his other mother is a lonely, bitter alcoholic, also believing in very little. What's worse is Regina doesn't recognize her own son, his existence has been wiped clean from her memories, which hurt his heart badly. He'd put down the visor on the helmet to allow himself to cry privately without Violet seeing this.

Eventually, the edgy teenager turns onto a back street, where it's much quieter and with fewer cars.

She pulls over next to a chain-link fence and stops. She removes her helmet and then looks at Henry. At first, he's confused, until he realizes that he's grasping her waist very tightly, almost to the point of cutting off her circulation. He lets go and gets off the bike. He removes his helmet and stealthily wipes away any leftover tears he might still have. He notices that they are at a place where there are hundreds of cars crammed into one tiny lot surrounded by a fence with razor wire on top.

"What is this place?" Henry asks as he sees a **_No Trespassing_** sign hanging on the fence.

"The city impound lot," Violet answers. "More than half the city's vehicles get towed here or are stolen on a regular basis. The lucky cars that are recovered are brought here, but most people don't bother claiming them."

"How come?"

"Doesn't matter," she says, as she walks down towards the edge of the lo, next to a large building.

Henry wonders how they're going to get in until he sees that there is a section of fence next to the building that doesn't have razor wire.

"Hold this," Violet instructs. She tosses her bag into his arms. "Watch carefully so you don't cut yourself."

The young author just nods and watches how Violet uses the thicker parts of the edges of the fence as a ladder, narrowly avoid the sharp wire by pressing her back against the wall and then jumping down on the other side.

"Toss it over," she says.

Henry throws the bag over the wire and Violet catches it on the other side.

"Your turn," she says.

He swallows hard… he'd heard that his mother and Hook once climbed a beanstalk, twice as high as this and almost as treacherous. If he was honest, he'd rather climb the beanstalk than this hazardous fence. He grips the edges of the fence tightly and takes his sweet time getting up to the top. Violet waits impatiently, but he can tell that she is concerned about his well-being too.

Once he's pressed against the wall, he slowly tries to inch past the sharp parts of the wire, almost picturing how painful it would be to be cut by said metal. He can feel his hands pressing flat against the wall in fear as he looks for a way to jump.

Without a second thought, he jumps down and lands heavily on the ground. His hands touch the sandy pavement for a moment before he stands back up again. Violet looks at him with her hard-brown eyes, he misses the curious and vulnerability that was once seen on the pools of dark chocolate.

"Come on," she says as she leads the way. The two begin weaving through parked cars, many of them have car boots on one of the tires and traffic tickets. Some look rusty, some have dents and scratches, some are even heavily damaged with cracked windshields, others look practically brand-new and expensive to lose, shining in the fading Maine daylight.

"Won't we get caught by the police if this is the impound lot?" he asks nervously

"Nope," the dyed-hair teenager says. "Hardly anyone comes around here and since the cops are so corrupt, it doesn't really matter if we hang out here or not. There's only one guard at the gate of the lot and he's a junkie so he doesn't bother us."

Henry swallows nervously as he continues to follow his former girlfriend. He begins to hear voices, a lot of them are gruff and harsh sounding. They turn left at a classy white Porsche with it's top down and the teenager is met with about a dozen gruff looking men and teenage boys.

All of them are wearing leather in some form or another. Jackets, belts, pants, even boots are tanned with the material. A bunch of them have various forms of facial hair, beards and moustaches surrounding their mouths, which contain cigarettes or other forms of illegal drugs you should not smoke. A lot of them wear chains and rings on their fingers, some in the form of metal skulls or symbols that Henry doesn't want to know the meanings of. He assumes that like his step-father, they are trophies of people they've either run over, beaten in bar fights, or even killed to obtain. Many also have tattoos, some with dark sleeves of ink and some even on the face.

They all turn as Violet arrives and their eyes go immediately to the stranger. Some glare at him with angry, even vengeful looking eyes. Others just stare at him like he's some kind of exhibit in a museum or a freaky being put on display. Some grunt and turn away, while a big man with a thick neck, a graying beard, and a shaved, tattooed head sneers at the kid.

"Hey Vee," one of the younger bikers says. He's probably in his twenties and has his lip pierced in three different places. He's dressed in all black, from head to toe, wearing thick eyeliner and is decked out in skulls and things that represent death in some form.

"Hey Graves," she says.

"Brought new meat with you did ya?" another asks, he appears to have a glass eye and has a heavy cigarette hanging from his mouth.

Henry swallows hard and hesitates.

"Go easy on him Popeye," another one, with metal teeth barks gruffly.

"Shut up Razor."

"What's the deal, Vee? Bring another recruit, one from the right side of the tracks I see," Graves says in a deep, very devoid voice, examining Henry's fancy clothes and backpacks.

"He found me smoking Winston's behind the school and asked for a ride," she says as she pulls out the gin and tosses it to a man in a leather vest and who wears a spikey dog collar. He places the alcohol on the hood of a beat-up red Pontiac Sunfire, pulls out several red plastic cups and begins to distribute the liquid evenly amongst the group. "And get this, he's the mayor's kid."

Several of the gang members immediately turn to Henry, glaring hungrily at him, like a pack of wild animals ready to spring at their prey. One guy licks his lips, while another snarls angrily, pulling up brass knuckles higher in his fingers. Henry is very scared and he takes another step back, only to bump into another, tall, and skinny looking gang member. He looks up into the biker's sunglasses, seeing his own fear reflected back at him.

The gang member grabs the teen's backpack from off his back and begins looking through it.

"What's the point of having this fancy ass pen?" he says, throwing it out of his bag.

"BE CAREFUL WITH THAT!" Henry shouts. The pen lands near the front of a tire. He hurries over, picks up the pen, and checks to see if it's broken.

"What's the deal kid?" a biker sitting on the hood of the car that Henry picked up the pen asks, he's smoking weed and blowing it everywhere, making the poor teenager cough. "It's just a pen. It's not worth shit."

"It belonged to my father," the author lies quickly. "My dad died a year ago and it's the only thing I have left of him."

The group suddenly goes silent, even Violet. There is a heavy moment where only the sounds of the city can be heard, and Henry becomes afraid that they're going to shoot him or something for yelling so loudly at them.

"Hey, don't sweat it, kid," the biker on the hood says. He smacks the boy hard on the back, making the poor kid grimace in pain. "Everyone here has lost someone they care about. It's why we're called The Lost Boys, and no we're not vampires."

"A sexist name that Vee insists we try to change," another member snickers.

"You see this chain here?" the smoking member asks. Henry nods. "Belonged to my dad. Lost him in a drive-by shooting."

"This here," another one intrudes, showing a tattoo of a gold Chrysanthemum on his left shoulder. "Is in honour of the sister I never got to meet. She was stillborn in November, so I got a topaz coloured flower to remember her by."

"This ring," Graves says, showing one with a faded black diamond surrounded by a cross. "Belonged to my girlfriend, lost her to cancer a year ago."

Henry is taken aback as he notices Graves tries to fight back tears. He goes over and snatches a drink of gin in order to nullify the pain he feels.

The teenager is completely shocked, never had he thought that a biker gang could be so sentimental or have feelings. He feels some of his fear dissipate, now knowing that these hardened individuals did have feelings, something he had long discovered with former villains such as his mom, his grandfather, and Killian.

"Here kid," the tall, skinny member of the gang who had stolen his backpack says, handing back his belongings. Henry checks and can see that everything is still in there, even his phone.

"We can't blame you for feeling too anxious about it kid," the one in the dog collar says, handing out the alcohol. "It's the small things that we hold close."

"What's yer name?" another member with a mullet asks.

"Henry… Henry Mills."

"Wow won't even take that witch's last name, good for you," another says in admiration.

When the apparent leader of the group hands Henry his cup, his hand shakes slightly and the plastic thing crinkles in his hand. He hesitates to take a drink, thinking about how mad his moms would be… if they were even his moms anymore. No one would know that he'd done this, it would just be between him and the gang and they sure as hell would not tell anyone. Besides, none of this is really real, if the curse is to be broken. He can feel the gang looking at him, Violet too and if he wants to impress her, reconnect from what has been lost, he'll have to do it. So, with much reluctance, he takes a small sip.

The bitter liquid makes his face contort and his tongue retracts from the awful taste. He forces himself to swallow, the gin burning his throat.

Several of the bikers applaud him.

"Welcome to the wild side buddy," another calls out.

Henry forces himself to smile. Violet looks a bit impressed, smiling a little bit, something that her boyfriend had longed to see from her again. He can see the prettily dressed Camelot girl, in a long, flowing gown. She drinks her own gin and then lights up a cigarette, destroying this illusion all over again. Henry sighs and looks away again, longing for something, anything that was normal before the curse.

The group hears sirens, and some can see flashing lights as emergency vehicles race past the lot. Everyone tenses for a moment before the sirens fade into the distance, meaning that they are safe.

"Wonder what happened?" Violet ponders, through puffs of her cigarette.

"Something important if it means an ambulance and what's left of the police is going," Graves says, has been the closest to see the emergency vehicles go by. "They're headed towards the beach. Must be another dead body or something that washed ashore."

 _Not quite…_

 _A/N: Reviews can help me become a better author. Please review and follow. Special thanks to Samii16 and Sarah for their reviews. There's also an allusion to the creators of Once's previous show in the chapter title._


	15. Chapter 14: Drifting Minds and Alibis

Chapter 14: Drifting Minds and Alibis

"Robert are you sure he's not at the mental ward?" Fiona asks into the phone, tapping her black-painted fingernails on her desk impatiently.

The black-hearted woman had been searching endlessly for her adopted son since she got the call at 4:00 from the school saying that Henry had missed the last class of the day. She immediately had sent her biological son, Rumple and grandson, Gideon out looking for him. It was becoming even more frustrating to keep him in line. She regrets not adding an extra condition to the curse, ensuring everyone in Storybrooke had forgotten who they were. Since Henry had been born outside of Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest, the spell put on the town had not had the same effect on her great-grandson. The Black Fairy knew that the only way to ensure the curse became a permanent fixture on the Saviour and her loved ones was to stall long enough for everything to become perpetual. Unfortunately, the dark curse still had a chance to be broken during this volatile period, where the magic was still in fluctuation; it is unstable and would sometimes reveal the parts under the dark veil. It had happened with her son's wife and this forced Fiona to break her beloved Rumple's heart and take away one of the few things he loved. Emma had also managed to see through the veil temporarily after the curse had been cast, forcing the darkest fairy to destroy the blonde's belief in love and hope by locking her away as well.

The only wrench in her plans is Henry. While Regina never had the connection with the truest believer that was her real adopted son, Emma did, and the possibility of true love's kiss was still there. The cursed true love, it's always the reason curses are broken, the one flaw in all of the magic that even the essence of darkness and evil could not overcome. So, it was up to the castor to prevent such a kiss from ever being administered and she now had to sever that connection, the sooner, the better.

Love was the enemy to all malevolence that the banished fairy lived for. It had been the fatal flaw in the Evil Queen's curse; if she had never adopted Henry due to the boredom of the curse, then he would have never brought the Saviour to the town and set off the chain of events that ended in Emma Swan fulfilling her destiny. In fact, the Evil Queen had done Fiona's work for her by cursing the people of the Enchanted Forest, draining all hope from its people, keeping them trapped in an infinite limbo of misery and darkness. But sadly, the fatal flaws in all humans are their desire for connections and their need for love. If Regina had never adopted Henry, then he would have stayed in the foster system, perhaps adopted by some other people or by the Darling minions of her late husband. Emma would have spent the rest of her life alone, never knowing who she was and never finding true love or her family. The Black Fairy would have had to find another way to come to this world, reunite with her son and she and Regina could have joined forces and reigned evil and terror down on the world forever.

Sadly, it was never meant to be, and the reformed queen would suffer for eternity like her fellow counterparts.

"Mother, I'm sure of it. None of the nurses, nor Miss Swan have seen him since this morning," Robert/Rumple sighs, tired of dealing with his mother's drama. If his grandson chose to run away again, there was a problem with either her parenting techniques or the way she was treating him. So why should he and Gideon be dragged into all of this? If Henry wanted to live on the streets of Stygian instead of a comfortable life, that should be the boy's own decision. He is a busy man, he had three casino hotels to manage in order to pay for Gideon's college fund.

It saddened the Dark One that Belle had left to travel, leaving their son with him and she would not be there to see their "little" boy create his own path. The Dark One's son was planning to go to either Princeton or Harvard, both schools he knows Belle would be proud to see her son go off to. Every time he thought of his wife, his stomach turned uneasily. The last contact he'd had with her was over a year ago, in the form of a letter and pictures of her doing relief efforts in South America. While he did feel pride for his wife going off to achieve her dreams of seeing the world and helping others in need, he wished she would just take the time to pick up the phone and call. He missed her voice, he missed holding her and he knew that Gideon missed her too. It seemed so unlike Belle to merely go off the grid like this.

"I have Gideon looking in all his other favourite places he likes to dwell in, but I think the lad will come home when he's ready."

"You know he won't do that Robert," Fiona snaps into the microphone. "If he could thumb a ride out of Stygian, he would, but as long as his mother is here, I know he won't."

"I thought you wanted Miss Swan to move back to Boston once she gets out."

"I do, and then maybe Henry and I can finally go travelling, look at boarding schools out of state. I have always promised him the chance to see the world. He will never grow properly if he isn't given the chance to spread his wings." *(Fairy pun intended here)

Suddenly, there's a beep on Fiona's phone, indicating an incoming call.

"Robert, I have another call coming in, I'll call you back as soon as I can."

…

"All right…" Rumple begins but is cut off when the line goes dead. He sighs and begins moving along the streets of the crumbling town known as Storybrooke. He passes by the clock tower, which has been frozen at 8:21 for as long as he can remember. He pauses to look at the empty shelves in one of the few uncovered windows of the building; he knows Belle would have loved to fill them with all her favourite books and spend hours there reading to their son.

Suddenly, he hears a strange noise that makes him freeze in his tracks. He turns towards the sound, curiosity getting the better of him. It wasn't from the bigger part of the city, nor was it from another part of this disintegrating town. It seems to be coming from inside the clock tower. The casino owner gets a little closer, he goes up to the chained doorway and sticks his ear to glass, which is still covered in newspaper. He ignores any other sounds. For a moment, he listens.

His blood runs cold and his heart stops mid-beat when he swears he hears someone screaming for help. For a brief moment, he thinks it might be Belle, perhaps his mother had lied to him all these years and she was being held as a prisoner in the building. Those hopes a quickly dashed when he realizes, it is a man screaming. A man seems to be screaming for help within the clock tower.

Not sure how to react, Rumple takes his ear away from the door and tries to open it. The chains rattle as he tries to pry open the entrance, but nothing happens. He presses his ear to the glass again, but the screaming has stopped completely. He waits to hear the sound again. Perhaps he should call the police, but the silence remains, almost ringing in the Dark One's ears.

He sighs, taking a step back, perhaps it was merely an echo from somewhere else in town, an auditory delusion brought on by the stress of his current situation, or maybe there really was some poor soul trapped within the clock tower, unable to get help because no one could hear him.

Rumple takes up his cane and begins to walk again. It doesn't take long, less than a hundred yards for him to stand at the entrance of his old shop. The one that had jumpstarted some of the pawnbroker businesses in Stygian. He had been a mentor to them, telling them everything that he'd known. He stares up at the busted old sign that once said:

 ** _Gold & Son Pawnbrokers & Antiquities _**

…

"What do you want?!" Fiona barks into her cell phone upset that her search for Henry has been interrupted.

"Sorry to bother you Madame Mayor," a timid voice on the other lines says. "But I think this might be of some interest to you…"

…

"Can you please tell me what happened again?" the officer on the scene asks, much to Crystal's annoyance.

The young adult rolls her eyes, becoming impatient with the constant interrogations from so many officers. She should have known this would happen, but at least this scene that she had created in order to get Phillip the help he needs is much better than just showing up at the hospital with an unconscious man, that would raise some very different questions, ones she doesn't want to have to answer.

She kicks some sand with her shoes and begins to repeat her story. It actually surprises her how much law enforcement has shown up considering what the other people have been telling her. Additionally, they are actually doing a good job securing the scene and ensuring that Phillip is transferred to the hospital with the greatest amount of care. She internally feels relief that soon he and Aurora would be reunited.

"Fine, so I was trying to find the former Storybrooke harbour, thinking there might be some scrap metal that I could buy, but since no one was around, I decided to take a walk along the beach." It secretly breaks Crystal's heart to see how gray and polluted the beach was. She loved to be able to see the seashore and walk along it on nice days. "Then I see this piece of junk floating adrift not too far from here. I thought maybe I could tow it in and use it for scrap metal. I went out there, despite my best judgements…"

Before the police and emergency services had arrived, Crystal had ensured that she'd gotten herself soaking wet to look like she had towed the boat to the shore as it had been drifting near the shore. She shows the officer her soaking clothes and shoes.

"I noticed the rope was just hanging out, so I assumed it had gotten loose from its moorings and drifted down this way. So, I used the rope to pull it onto the beach. It wasn't until I looked inside that I realized that there was someone aboard. I'm trained in CPR, so I pulled him out of the boat and tried to make him as comfortable as possible while I called for help."

"How did you know it was Phillip Jacobs?"

"I'll admit it wasn't my best decision, but I found his wallet tucked into his coat as I was loosening it to help him breathe. I saw his driver's license. I'm sorry about contaminating that by the way."

"It's not a problem, Miss… um…"

"Wyatt," Crystal says, thinking quickly. "Amelia Wyatt."

"Well, Miss Wyatt, while most people would question the credibility of your story, all the evidence seems to back up or claims. Then again, stranger things have happened. I'll have the EMTs bring you a blanket. You don't realize the great service you've done to this man Miss Wyatt, you likely saved his life."

 _I know I have,_ Crystal thinks smugly. _And I'm weakening a curse._

"Now, we may have to ask you to come down to the station to fill out a witness statement, but then you are free to go."

"Thank you, do you think he will be okay?" she asks.

"We hope so," the officer says before walking away.

Crystal then walks over ducking under the yellow tape to a nearby ambulance. An emergency worker gives her a blanket and some water to drink. As she stands near the vehicle, she notices a fancy black car pull up.

A woman with dark hair and dark eyes climbs out of the back, ducks under the yellow tape not caring that it was a closed scene, and immediately goes to the lead investigator. She appears to be very angry, shouting at anything that moves. Her ferocity and dark nature are evident from Crystal's point of view.

The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin can sense that something is off about her. She lets her special vision take over and she gasps to herself. The woman's aura of energy is completely black, no essence of light and her heart is the exact same way, a lump of stone, hardened darkness. How could anyone exist like this? When her father's heart began to turn back like that, he nearly died! This thing must be beyond the Dark One, beyond all existence and understanding. It must be darkness itself. She also sees an outline of wings coming out of her back in the vision. Crystal swallows hard, knowing that she's just seen her grandmother, and she is in no hurry to make the woman's acquaintance.

 _A/N: Please review. Thank you so much to Sammii16, it feels so surreal and amazing that you review my stories like this. It means so much to me, you have a way with words yourself. Also, thank you to Sarah for her faithful reviews too._


	16. Chapter 15: Magic Within

Chapter 15: Magic Within

Crystal immediately turns her face away from the woman and her heart enters her throat. The young woman can feel the evil energy radiating from this angry fairy. She can sense the threat she poses to all of them, no wonder this was the Final Battle, trying to defeat the source of all darkness. Fear fills her body, but also anger. While Crystal is aware that it's not her destiny to fight this woman, but she'd sure like to take this mistress of evil down a peg or two. Make her pay for inflicting these horrible lives on these heroes. And if The Black Fairy discovers that she has a granddaughter who is actively trying to break the curse, she'll either kill her or make Crystal's life a living hell.

She slowly tries to walk towards one of the opened doors of the ambulance, to conceal her appearance from the woman and also to spy on the wicked creature. She bites her lip and watches as her grandmother continues to inquire about the scene in question. Knowing she's going to need to hear what's happening, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin uses her magic to enhance her hearing and focus on the conversation happening between the officer and the mother of Rumpelstiltskin.

"What in God's name is going on here?" Fiona barks at the leading investigator.

"Standard police work Madam Mayor," is the calm answer, but Crystal can hear that the officer's voice is laced with fear.

 _Mayor... if she's mayor, what happened to Regina?_

"What has happened? Why is there a rust bucket boat on the shores of my city?"

"Please Miss Blackwell, everything is being done to remove it, but first it has to be searched for clues."

"Clues? Why the hell would you need to search it for clues?"

"Because Madam Mayor, we've just closed a year-long missing person's case."

This makes the wicked woman pause. Crystal can sense the anxiety and shock in this periodic silence. It's not often that the essence of all darkness is left without something to say.

"Which one?"

 _ONE?!_ Crystal's stomach turns violently. How many more of these heroes of Storybrooke have gone missing, and most likely by her hand as well.

"The missing army major, Phillip Jacobs..."

Crystal smiles internally when she sees the colour drain from her grandmother's face.

"Y-You mean you found him?!" she says, the composure and rage having left her voice, leaving it in an almost high-pitched squeak as she spoke those words.

"Yes, Ma'me."

"You mean the body?"

"No Madam Mayor, by some sheer miracle he's alive, although he is in a delicate state right now."

"What...What do you mean?"

"Well, the evidence suggests that he's been drifting along the Portland coastline in this rust bucket of a boat for quite some time. With little food, water, or any form of naval equipment to navigate."

A breath of relief seems to leave Fiona's mouth as she was not implicated in his disappearance, but she was still puzzled by the circumstances. She sort of wishes that she'd paid more attention to where her curse sent every citizen, maybe had a detailed itinerary/log to know who was where. She knew that she had separated the two royals from another to ruin their happy ending, but she had no idea where the prince would have been. He could have been trapped in a well somewhere for all she cared, ruining the Saviour's belief was her top priority; however, the prince found in a boat adrift in the harbour drew too much attention and didn't make sense for the curse to do something bizarre like that. She knew something was up about the whole situation.

"It's not possible..." she hisses under her breath. Her mind begins to race, wondering who in the god-forsaken town was powerful enough to track down Phillip after the curse at all. He was missing and his case was cold for a reason. She bites her lip and scans around her.

"Believe me, no one else thought it was possible either," the officer says, continuing to write down case notes. He'd obviously just assumed that the woman is amazed by this survival story and not for the reasons she's really thinking.

"How do you think this happened?" Fiona says. "How in the world did he get on that boat?"

"Still a work in progress Madam Mayor, but the boys and I generally agree that he must've suffered a post-traumatic break at the park last year, ran to the harbour, grabbed the nearest boat and took off for the horizon. The witness who found him assumes that he must've stopped in various places along the coast, maybe even going to Canada at one point, to help clear his head. She then thinks he tried to come back but got caught in a storm, he fell unconscious in the said storm, and the boat was adrift for a long time when she found him."

 _That's not possible..._ Fiona thinks to herself, but the mention of a witness immediately peaks her interest.

"Witness, who is this witness?" she inquires, beginning to look around again for said individual.

Crystal swallows hard, she tries to act as casual as possible but knows that if Fiona catches her spying on them, her cover is blown, and her very life could be in grave danger. She slowly walks out of sight, barely missing her grandmother's demonic black eyes. She walks along the side of the ambulance, making sure that no one could see her from where the conversing people were standing. She uses magic to enhance the spell and allow her to continue listening.

"She's not a local to the area. Her name is Amelia Wyatt. She's actually from Washington state and came here because her family owns a scrap metal dealer and she was wondering if she could buy some off some junk off the old sea salts who live here. She was walking along the beach when she spotted the boat drifting along. She towed it in and discovered Phillip Jacobs inside. She tried doing CPR and calling for help."

Crystal can hear Fiona give a snort of derision, obviously, the story seems rather far-fetched. Even hearing it told by someone else, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin understands how unbelievable it sounds.

"That is a highly unlikely story," is the evil woman's response.

"Believe me, I have trouble comprehending it myself, but the evidence so far lines up with her story."

"Convenient," Fiona hisses so softly that Crystal barely manages to hear it. This causes the girl to swallow hard.

"We're still looking into the details."

"Has Mr. Jacobs been taken to the hospital to be given treatment?" the black-hearted woman asks.

"Yes, he has."

"And have his loved ones been notified?"

This causes Crystal's heart to pound. She's afraid that her evil grandmother might do something to Phillip, possibly kill him in order to ensure that the real story or evidence doesn't get out.

"We're in the process of doing so," is the answer.

"Where is this Amelia? I'd like to meet her."

"Uhm mm..."

Crystal begins to panic, becoming afraid that her grandmother will track her down and quite possibly kill her as well. She backs against the side of the ambulance, becoming extremely scared about what might happen next. Her palms sweat, creating moist streaks along the side of the vehicle. Her heart threatens to break her ribcage in the fear and she pants slightly. She knows she's going to have to use magic to avoid being caught. She had to get away from this scene as quickly as possible.

With her mind racing, she uses her magic to influence the ambulance drivers, making them start up the emergency vehicle, and begin to pack up and leave. Just as the vehicle begins to move, Crystal snaps her fingers, vanishing from sight.

She appears in the bushes close to the Storybrooke General Hospital. She then goes inside the building and walks up to the desk.

"May I help you?" a receptionist asks, looking rather tired behind the desk.

"I'm looking for Phillip Jacobs. I wanted to see if he was all right because I'm the one who found him."

The woman raises her eyebrow at the girl, skeptical of this statement. Obviously, the entire story of Phillip being found alive is a lot to take in, and the story which surrounds it is equally fantastical in some ways. But then again, all of them exist in a town populated by fairy tale characters and have been cursed by a very dark fairy.

"You're the one that found this guy who's been missing for over a year?"

"Truth is stranger than fiction," Crystal tries.

"I guess it's okay if you are the one that saved him. He's on the second floor, room 12."

"Thank you."

The young woman hurries up the stairs of the hospital, navigating the corridors as quickly as possible, knowing time is of the essence.

Eventually, she comes to the room.

She peers inside and to her relief, Aurora is already there. She sits by his bedside, tears prominent in her eyes and she's holding his hand tightly. The former prince is hooked up to all these different machines with monitors and also has a breathing tube up his nose too. Crystal bites her lip, knowing all of this could go away if the former sleeping beauty would just kiss her true love. The girl knocks and then sticks her head in.

Aurora looks up and becomes confused.

"Who...who are you?" she asks, looking closer, feeling like she's seen this girl before. Crystal enters but stays near the door in case Aurora wants to be alone with Phillip.

"My name is Amelia Wyatt... we met at the bar earlier. I was the one talking to Ashley."

There is some recognition in the woman's blue eyes, but not a lot. It's obvious that this waitress would see many various women speaking to the bartender, why would young Crystal stand out in the crowd?

"I'm also the one who found him,"

"You...you're the one who found him?"

She slowly stands, releasing Phillip's hand slowly.

"Well yes, I..."

Suddenly, Aurora's arms wrap around Crystal holding onto her tightly. The auburn-haired princess is squeezing her so tightly that the "stranger" has difficulty breathing. She can hear the woman's sobs and the feeling wracking her thin body. Most of the time, Crystal loves hugs, she often insists on giving her father them even though he preferred no-physical contact. But this one doesn't feel as genuine because Aurora doesn't know who she's hugging. Their hug is under the guise of a curse where no one remembers the girl who tried to be friends with everyone in Storybrooke. It broke Rumple's daughter's heart just a little, knowing she was hugging a friend, but her friend is hugging a stranger.

"Thank...you," she finally manages to speak through the overwhelming emotions coursing through her body like a waterfall or rushing rapids. "Thank you for finding him."

"You're welcome,"

"I can't tell you how much this means to me that you found him. The doctors told me that he was very close to death and would not have survived if you had not found him at that moment."

 _All lies_ , Crystal thinks to herself but responds comfortingly. She rubs the distraught woman's back gently and doesn't say anything for a while. The two women stand in silence, except for the beeping of Phillip's monitors.

"The world works in mysterious ways to save its people," the daughter of the Dark One murmurs.

"Yes... and now... my son will know who his father is and I won't have to lie or tell him that he's gone."

"You have a son?" Crystal says, trying to feign surprise.

"A little boy named Phillip, after his father of course. He's the most precious thing in my life and I was going to lose him because his father was missing for so long. I was about to give up hope when I got the call at the bar, I practically fainted and could not get to the hospital fast enough. They haven't left me alone with him until now... they say he's in a delicate state. They wouldn't even let me kiss him or allow my son in the room for fear of contamination... It's just... it's just been so hard and overwhelming..."

"I know the feeling," is the answer. Her heart pounds. She knows that Aurora and Phillip need to share True Love's kiss before her grandmother gets here and either harms Aurora or kills her prince and make it look like an accident.

"But you are alone now... what's stopping you from kissing him?"

The young princess swallows hard and turns back towards her prince charming. "I... I don't know if he'll even love or remember me. If he left me once... what's stopping him from doing it again? Will he even want to see my face or see his son? Did he run away because he didn't want to be a father?"

Crystal can't stand this. The stupid curse is filling Aurora's head with doubts, draining the hope from her body again. The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin grabs the princess's arms, a little harder than she intended and forces Aurora to face her. She didn't go through all of this trouble to have it crumble at her feet.

"Listen to me Aurora! I didn't risk hypothermia by wading into the water to tow the boat in to see you just give up like that. I didn't practically break your husband's chest trying to give him CPR for you to turn away now. I did all those things because I hoped and prayed that he had a family and loved ones who were looking for him and want him back in their lives. Your son needs both of you in his life, no matter what happens, you've never stopped hoping that he'd come home, even when the police gave up. You believed he would come back because you love him, and I bet every last dollar in my wallet that he loves you too. He may be fragile, but your love is strong enough to bring you both back together. Life is a gigantic, big, stinking mess that leaves a lot of us dirty and in tears, but love makes everything a little brighter and a little happier... You need to let him know that you are here for him and you're not going anywhere. I guarantee that the first words out of his mouth will be your name when he wakes up!"

Aurora is utterly stunned by this rather empowering speech that has been given. Her blue eyes still give off the confusion and a little bit of sadness, but Crystal is happy to see that there is now hope in her eyes. She gives a weak smile and relaxes a little after the girl releases her.

"How did you know my name?" she asks. "Hardly anyone knows my real name."

Swallowing hard, Crystal thinks up a quick lie. "The police told me and remember that I talked to Ashley in the bar."

"But even she doesn't..."

"It doesn't matter, go over there and kiss him like you've wanted to do for the past year," the girl says, practically pumping herself up with hope. "Screw rules, love trumps all." She gives the princess a gentle push towards the bed. She can still see hesitation and defeat in Aurora's stance, but there's still hope there. It actually surprises Crystal that she could given an impassioned speech about hope and love... that was usually up Snow's alley, but with the hard-earned determination to break the curse, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin is a true hero and therefore will at some point end up giving a speech about hope.

"I love you, Phillip, please come back to us..."

Crystal waits patiently as Aurora cautiously leans in and gently kisses Phillip's lips.

A wave of rainbow light rushes through the room from where the kiss of true love is delivered. Crystal can feel the warm energy that has radiated from the kiss, she knows the sleeping spell has been broken.

It takes a moment, but then Phillip's monitors begin to go wild, the hazel colouring of his irises appear from under his eyelids, and he gasps for air. Mirroring their true love's kiss in the Enchanted Forest after 28 years of being separated, Aurora's eyes are wide with joy and happiness upon seeing her prince's face alive once again.

He looks up to see the familiar face.

"Aurora?" he croaks.

"Yes, Phillip."

"I told you not to come after me," he jokes with a weak smile.

She laughs and just continues to kiss him despite his condition; the couple savours the moment before the inevitable would happen.

"You found me..." he says between their breaths of happiness. The two hold each other, Aurora practically on his hospital bed now, both ignoring the machines and the tubes attached to the patient.

The princess just smiles. He does pause at one point, pushing back on his wife.

"Our son?"

"He's safe," she says before kissing him again. "And he will be so happy to have his father back."

Crystal has to keep herself from crying, she covers her hand with her face and bites her lip, fading into the background, so happy to see the couple reunited. She now knows what Emma felt like when she helped give people their happy endings. While the daughter of the Dark One was hardly Saviour material, it was nice to know that she'd brought light into people's lives and not just the darkness that runs in her veins. Two characters from one of her favourite fairy tales are together again. She knows that this did not break the main curse, the heaviness of darkness still looms over all of them, but there is no light in the face of great darkness.

She suddenly hears the sound of heavy high-heeled shoes punishing the hall floor. The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin freezes in her place. She hardly needs a clue to figure out who is coming. If sensing magic does run in the family then no doubt Fiona Blackwell would have felt that her curse has been tampered with. Crystal needs to think quickly to keep this happiness and keep herself hidden from the evil.


	17. Chapter 16: Not as It Seems

Chapter 16: Not as It Seems

"You know what I'd do if I had the future that you did kid?" Razor says, taking a sip of the gin as he sits on the hood of a busted-up Toyota.

Henry leans against the bumper of a dented car, still gazing at Violet, the pain of her lack of memory of their relationship still throbbing in his body. He turns with his red cup, he's only taken a few sips, the bitterness of the liquid stings his mouth and burns his throat and nose. He hates it, not understanding why adults drink this disgusting concoction anyways. He looks to the speaking gang member.

"No, what?"

"I'd take that money and go wherever the hell I wanted. Maybe someplace like Italy or even Russia… see the world, experience life on the edge. I'd climb Mount Everest if I could."

"Why don't you guys take your motorcycles and go on the road?" the young author asks.

A few other members look at Henry, staring at what seems like daggers at him, but the alcohol had likely softened their defences that if the visitor said something offensive, they wouldn't snap at him. Razor's face goes red for a moment, some of the veins on his thick neck pop out briefly as he tenses, but then takes another sip.

"We got families kid, friends and families," Razor explains. "Popeye over here has two little girls to care for and I've got a sweetheart and also an ageing mother and father to worry about."

This gang has surprise Henry immensely. He expected the typical motorbike gang, clad in leather, chains, brass knuckles, many tattoos, heavy drinking, and smoking, riding to wherever they wanted on their bikes. Maybe he'd watched too many episodes of _Sons of Anarchy_ to really assume that this gang was like any other. These guys are just people who have lost their way like their name suggests… broken and fighting to make a living for themselves. They are almost perfect examples of how his mom and dad were like for the longest time, just trying to survive, protect themselves and those they love. They had feelings and emotions, they were truly human.

"The only one who could really go would be Vee," Junkyard says. "The only thing holding her back is the state and custody crap."

"We're all stuck here buddy," Graves answers, lighting up another cigarette and sharing the lit match with Violet as she starts smoking again. "If we try to leave, something always keeps us here… one way or another."

 _Like the first curse!_ Henry thinks to himself, his eyes going wide. Any time anyone in Storybrooke tried to leave, something bad would happen to their car or something. He has no doubt in his mind that his great-grandmother's curse does the same thing. The only people who can leave are the outsiders, those born outside of this cursed town.

"I get it," he nods. "It just seems like nothing is good or right anymore."

"Exactly!" Popeye nods, pointing his cup at the boy. "The world is as twisted as it gets and we're the by-product of this crappy world. If it were up to me, none of this would exist. Hell, bring back the tiny town that used to be here… whatever its name was… Stoneybrooke…"

"Storybrooke," Henry says.

"See, even you get it, kid, I want the quiet life, one of peace and simplicity for my girls to grow up in," Popeye raises his cup up. "Here's to the past and what should've happened."

Everyone in the gang raises their glasses and mutters in response.

Just then, the phone in Henry's pocket buzzes. He whips it out only for his heart to sink. The text is saved under "Mom," but not the one he wanted. He's already had multiple texts from her, but he's ignored them. The Black Fairy wouldn't care if he got hit by a bus or jumped off a clip. He knew this concerned act is just a façade to be part of the curse. He glares

 ** _Mom: Better be home when I get back. Something came up. We need to have a long talk_**.

"I don't care you're not my goddamned mother!" Henry hisses. He impulsively tosses his phone far out into the car lot. It bounces off the roof of a car and likely smashes in a million pieces… he hopes.

The gang is surprised by his outburst, in fact, everyone is quiet.

"Damn Vee, this kid has more issues than we do," the smoking member says. Henry decides to give this one the nickname, _Smokepipe_.

"Thanks for the drink guys, but I have to go and hide from my… mother," the teenager says. He gathers up his things, ensuring his author's pen is safely tucked away and then begins heading towards where he and Violet had snuck in.

He hardly notices that the members of the Lost Boys have gone almost dead quiet, watching the kid as he storms away, doing his best not cry angrily.

He comes to the fence. He tosses his bag over and starts to climb.

"Hey man, what the hell happened back there?"

The voice sends shivers up his spine. He'd know this voice anywhere. It sounds deeper and gravellier like because of the alcohol and cigarettes in her system. He turns to see Violet with her arms crossed, her leather jacket hanging loosely around her shoulders and her combat boots tapping the ground.

"Nothing just leave me alone," Henry mutters, trying to climb the fence. He shakes his head in frustration and tries to get a good foothold on a part of the chain link. His darn foot keeps slipping.

"You know there's a better way to get out," Violet says.

"Does it look like I care?!" he snaps back.

"You're going to kill yourself that way. It's too dangerous."

"Just shut up and leave me alone!" He barks. He reaches up, carefully trying to avoid the barbed wire, get close to the wall but his foot slips and he grabs for the closest thing, sharp metal. He cuts himself and is now hanging from the fence.

"Damn it!" he snarls. He finally drops, trying to tend to his hand, ignoring the clear rip in his shirt.

She comes closer once she sees the blood. "I just wanted to help you. Sheesh man, don't bite my head off," the rebel girl says.

"Why? that's all you do," Henry mutters, using his shirt to curb the blood.

Violet gently grabs his hand to take a look at his wounds. Henry wants to resist, but he feels the softness of her grasp, she's being gentle again. The gentleness of her skin makes him shudder and instantly relax, all the anger leaving his body fairly quickly. She reaches into her jacket and pulls out some Kleenex. She gently places it on the wound. The two look up at each other. Henry gazes into Violet's deep brown eyes, beyond the heavy makeup and piercings… he swallows and his heart bangs against his ribcage, almost to the point of breaking it. There is no longer a hardness or anger, no attitude, the façade of rebellion is gone and he's seeing kindness and concern. Her brown irises communicate the hurt she's likely feeling. For a moment, it feels like the curse is gone and he can see the real Violet again.

"Maybe I do it, so I don't get hurt," she mutters. She then grabs more Kleenex, dips it in the red cup hanging out of her pocket and then presses it on the wound.

Henry hisses and grimaces with the pain. "Oh God, warning next time."

"Why should I do that? You didn't listen to me the first time I warned."

The author sighs. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just got mad at my mom and I redirected it at you and you don't deserve that."

"Well maybe sometimes I do…" Violet admits, applying pressure to Henry's hand.

"No…"

"Yes, I do. I'm a bitch. I treat everyone like crap and it's only because that's how the world has always treated me. I figure it's fair, give what you get… and all that, but it's my shield you know? I hate my life and the only way I can protect myself in this crappy world is to just give it the big middle finger. It's better that way. The whole world just sucks so badly and it always feels like something is wrong. That there's some evil force working against all of us, keeping us trapped in this hellish life with no way out. I can't see a way out of it, no matter how hard I try so I just push away the world… It's just who I am, and it makes me the bitch that I deserve to be."

Henry reaches forward and gently puts his hand on Violet's shoulder. It takes her off guard, she gasps for a moment, but clearly, she can feel the energy too. Her cheeks begin to glow a little bit red as Henry's hazel eyes drink in her beauty. She tries to lock eyes with him, but she becomes shy and afraid, letting herself be put into this vulnerable position. She wants to take a step back, but she realizes that she's still holding his hand, pressing on his cut.

"You're not a bitch," he says, with anger, but also passion in his voice. "You were never a bitch… You are so much better than that. You are a lady… the prettiest girl I've ever seen, a girl who loves music and horses, a girl who puts her faith and trust into those she cares about… the girl who's stolen my heart…"

He then leans in, cupping her face and gives her a gentle kiss on the lips. He ignores the smell of cigarette smoke and gin, he holds her close, wanting to tell her how much she means to him. He wants the real Violet back, the girl he'd fallen in love with… his first crush and his first girlfriend. He memorizes the softness of her lips and rubs his thumb gently along her cheekbone. Her brown eyes are wide at first, but clearly, she feels it… or something between them and gives into her emotions.

When their lips part, the two let out gasps for a moment, catching their breaths. The entire world seems to stop and it's just them at this moment. Their eyes drink each other in. If only this kiss could have broken the curse. There was no magical reaction externally, but Henry could feel it inside. Like a raging wildfire is burning its way through his body. He looks at Violet, tears on the edges of his eyes, wanting her so much to remember what they had.

Violet opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. She doesn't know how to feel about this… he's so… different, in a way that she's never felt before. Her mind thinks about what he said… none of it makes any sense. She didn't like horses and she was picky when it came to music, she was never the girl he was describing. Yet something inside of her felt like it was ringing. Like a bell… there is something too familiar about his words like she's remembering a dream or hell even a memory… It was so strange, she too feels like she's going to cry. It was too much, it feels like she's drowning in a tidal wave that has washed over her. She wants to resist, fight to resurface again, but she becomes afraid and retracts a bit more. No matter what he said, it just wasn't true… it couldn't be.

She steps back, releasing Henry's hand that she realizes that she's been clinging to very tightly. She looks down, tracing his skin with her dark purple fingernails.

"I'd like to believe you…" she whispers. "It's just so hard to."

Henry merely nods, knowing that the curse has taken over again, the little bit of Violet that he'd managed to see was gone again. He swallows a large lump of sadness and also steps back, holding the tissues to his cut now.

Violet pushes a purple streak out of her face and then walks around Henry. She reaches the fence and then lifts up the back corner that was supposed to be attached to the wall.

"This is usually my exit when I'm too drunk to climb," she says, forcing a smile on her face

Henry's heart drops to his stomach, knowing the moment has passed. He wants to just capture it and keep it in a bottle. He bites his lip hard before forcing himself to smile.

"T-Thanks," he finally manages to say as he goes towards the piece of loose fencing.

The young author pauses, gazing at the lady of Camelot once more, wanting to just tell her everything, but it felt fruitless at this point. He can't say anything else without frightening her more.

"I-I'll see you soon," Violet says quietly. She then reaches into her pocket and then quickly writes down her number. "For when you get a new phone," she explains.

Henry smiles, wanting to hold her hand as she hands him the paper, but she slips out of his grasp after she's returned the piece of paper.

"I hope so…" he mutters before turning away. He picks up his backpack and then slowly walks away from the car lot, trying to hide his tears, wanting nothing more but to go back and kiss her again.

Violet stands at the fence, her fingers lingering on her lips, feeling his kiss still prominent on them. She feels like she's been through this before, but when and how? They've only just met. Something doesn't seem right, but her mind cannot place it.

…

Henry treks through the darkening streets, trying to go back to familiar territory again. His heart feels like it's being squeezed so intensely that it's going to burst. The tears are still sliding down his face and he doesn't bother with wiping them away… it just hurts too much to do so.

He continues down a familiar street crumbling and in poor shape. That is until he comes across a place with overgrown plants snaking through the iron fence and spreading out over surrounding the building. The patio tables and chairs are turned over or broken and the pathway is overgrown with moss, but his heart skips a beat as he looks up at the neon sign flickering as it tries to stay lit in the progressing darkness. As if by pure habit, he turns and heads towards the place that looked like a small house. He pauses on the steps for a moment before reaching out and slowly opening the door, waiting to hear the familiar bell ring.

 _A/N: Hope you know this place, it's where everyone seems to go whenever there's a problem. Please follow and review._


	18. Chapter 17: The Hold of Evil

Chapter 17: The Hold of Evil

 _Oh crap, what am I going to do?_ Crystal thinks to herself. She presses her back against the door, knowing she has minutes, maybe only seconds to act. She really doesn't want to leave Aurora and Phillip alone, she's afraid about what the Black Fairy might do to them if she does… and at the same time, she needs to hide from her grandmother. If the entity of all darkness finds out that someone is trying to break her curse, she'll likely kill or attempt to stop the instigator. Crystal knew she was not powerful enough to stop her grandmother on her own and her presence in the city must remain a secret for a little bit longer.

Knowing that she's got no other choice but to run in order to avoid being discovered, Crystal freezes the couple in their embrace and then teleports away, hoping and praying that the Black Fairy doesn't do anything to them. She appears on the street behind the hospital to avoid being seen by other bystanders. No doubt the predators known as reporters and the media would be swamping the hospital, trying to get the details about Phillip's miraculous discovery. She then snaps her fingers, releasing her magical hold on the two, just in time as Fiona appears, knocking on the door.

"Come in," Aurora says. When she sees who it is, the young waitress/princess becomes very surprised and stands up, unable to properly respond to the surprise of having the mayor of the city visit her and her husband in their hospital room. "Madam Mayor, I didn't expect you to be here."

"I just wanted to ensure that our missing person is now getting adequate medical attention and I also keep the growing swarm of media from gaining access to this room. How are you feeling Mr. Jacobs?"

"Weak," he answers, slowly adjusting himself with the tubes and wires poking out of him. Aurora holds his hand the entire time, refusing to leave his side. "I just can't believe that I'm here."

"Do you remember what happened?" Fiona inquires, biting her lip. She knows that it was unlikely that the foolish prince would remember the curse, but if that wave of light was true love's kiss, it's a factor the dark fairy needs to consider. Internally, she needs to prevent herself from strangling the princess, who unknowingly broke the sleeping curse that surrounded her husband. The happiness felt in the room is like breathing in poisoned gas for this embodiment of evil. She was just lucky that the entire curse did not break. In fact, how did this air-head even know that a kiss would wake her husband? Suspicions begin to arise as Fiona pushes back some of her black coloured bangs from her face.

"Not really. Right now, all I remember is darkness. It's really just a blur and more darkness."

"But you do know who you are?" Fiona asks, holding her breath.

"I'm Major Phillip Jacobs, a former veteran of the United States Army. I have a wife named Aurora Jacobs and our son, named after me, Phillip Stefan Jacobs. We live at 86 Horton Avenue in Stygian city and according to Aurora, I've been missing for the past year."

Fiona sighs in relief, the true love's kiss may have broken her sleeping curse, but not the darker, more powerful one, the one meant to destroy the Saviour's belief and hope of a happy ending. "Well… that is certainly a step in the right direction," she says, forcing herself to smile. "I think I should allow Dr. Whale to come in and examine you more closely to ensure you haven't suffered any further trauma. I'm glad that you have been found safe and sound Major Jacobs."

"Thank you, Madam Mayor," the prince says, smiling and then weakly lifts Aurora's hand to his mouth and kisses it.

Fiona exits the hospital room and begins going back down the hall. She hates that happiness has been restored to these two royals, it made her stomach churn violently with acid and anger. How the hell did Phillip end up in a boat down by the beach? He'd been locked away in a mansion after the curse hit, the Black Fairy knows this, she did a check on all the former citizens of Storybrooke to ensure that they were miserable and there was no hope that couples could find each other. Yet, somehow, someone had bypassed her dark spells and managed to find the prince… but how?

No one, likely aside from her son, knew that magic even still existed here, and no one in the former godforsaken town knew that she was The Black Fairy anymore. She was now the mayor of Stygian City, a place where happiness came to die and the fact that the foolish people from outside the town, who now flocked to this Las Vegas rip-off to lose everything they had and be miserable, was merely icing on the cake. The more darkness, anger, evil, misery, and sadness that existed, the more powerful she was. Her curse had been a marvellous thing, giving her everything she'd longed for, for thousands of years. She was finally able to give her son whatever he wanted and crush the souls of all her enemies at the same time. Yet, something was happening… it couldn't be Henry, his powers were very limited now and since she was not part of the stories, he could not control her, but who…?

There had to be a way to destroy the happy couple's bliss. Life was no longer a fairy tale and reality had to set in again. She smirks to herself as she passes the front desk and sees the former King Stefan, Queen Briar Rose, and Prince Phillip's parents talking to the receptionist as they hold a young infant Phillip Jr. She pauses, a plan forming inside her head like vine meant to entangle the innocent couple and their family. She walks up to the family and opens her mouth to begin speaking.

…

Henry enters _Granny's_ , feeling slight relief and comfort to be somewhere familiar. So much has changed with the curse, it was nice to see not everything has changed, even though the bell that rings to greet people sounds muffled and even sadder than he remembers. However, once he views the diner with both eyes, he gasps to himself when he sees how much has really changed.

The beloved diner and the reported "heart" of Storybrooke is just like every other building in the city of Stygian, dirty and broken. The gray and beige coloured tiles that are laid out in a pattern beneath his feet are cracked and covered in dirt and other sticky substances. The tables, chairs, and booths are in various states of disrepair, a lot of the red leather of the booths is ripped up and/or burnt, likely from people putting out their cigarettes on the material. The black and white wallpaper, with the image of pine trees, are faded and heavily vandalized with markers. Some of the windows in front of the restaurant are boarded up to keep the cold out or are cracked and broken in other places. The large counter to the right is covered in old food wrappers, various substances, and cigarette butts. The neon clock above the counter is completely burnt out and covered with dried grease. To his surprise, the diner is completely empty, with the exception of Granny herself.

Henry sighs in relief again, happy to see another familiar face, although she does not look particularly happy to see him. The older woman stands at her usual place behind the counter, she sternly glances at this newcomer over her round glasses on a chain, before going back to what she was reading at the counter. Her face looks thinner and more sunken than before, which worries the young author immensely. He gets closer and sees that she's wearing ratted old clothes and her apron is stained beyond belief. He approaches her, hoping that she'll recognize him.

"What do you want?" she grunts in disapproval, looking up from the magazine to face her customer.

"Granny, what happened?" Henry asks.

"What do you mean 'what happened' and who are you?"

"It's me, Henry."

"Henry, as in the mayor's kid Henry?" Granny asks, giving him a dirty look.

The teenager merely nods, hating that he was still being seen as the enemy because Fiona was now the mayor.

"She decided to soften the blow of eviction by sending her son to do it?" the old woman snaps, the sounds of anger and annoyance are still in her voice, but Granny was a tough individual as well. But there was something more in her voice, Henry can hear defeat… as if she's given up on fighting. This is awful considering Granny was one of the toughest people Henry knew, crossbow and all.

"N-No…" he says, his hazel eyes wide at this information. "Eviction?! They can't evict you!"

"According to Mayor Blackwell, she can. If I can't keep up with the land payments, this place is going to be shut down and given the wrecking ball."

Henry is horrified, thinking that his favourite place in Storybrooke, besides his castle, might be torn down! He can feel tears brewing in his eyes, the curse truly has ruined everything he loves. _Granny's_ was the best place to go to get anything; he can remember all the times he would force his adopted mom to buy him ice cream or hot chocolate with cinnamon. Despite how harsh Regina had been at that time, he had enjoyed sitting with her in one of the booths and merely talking about their day to one another. It got even more special for him when he brought Emma to Storybrooke and the curse was broken. It was here that he'd gotten the opportunity to truly bond with his grandparents, this was where he'd met Violet for the "first" time, his uncle Neal had been christened here, this diner had even been taken to Camelot in order to help rescue his birth mom. This place was part of what made Storybrooke so great. There were so many happy memories here that he can't imagine life without the diner. His heart is breaking in his chest as he grasps the counter in a panic.

"She can't do that! _Granny's_ is the heart of Storybrooke! Everyone loves it here!"

"Everyone huh?" the woman mutters sarcastically. "You see people lining up to get my onion rings kid? And Storybrooke is a past concept. It no longer exists, it's just another wart on the foot of Stygian's cityscape. No one wants good cooking or a comfortable place to sit, they want fancy, overpriced dining areas with cabaret shows or cheap stuff that can be grabbed on the go."

"This place is not a paradise, it's a nightmare! It's dirty, dangerous, and everyone here is miserable."

"Such is life kid. I'm surprised Madam Mayor has given the okay to bulldoze this part of town. Apparently, now she wants to build condos."

"But she can't do that! It's so wrong!" Henry says, for once, he avoids hiding his tears, completely upset about everything.

"But what can I do about it?" Granny shrugs, sighing heavily. Henry could tell that she was trying to act as if she didn't care, but deep down, this gruff old woman was sad. This place was her livelihood, she'd put all her sweat and blood into this place, spending 31 years with her granddaughter Ruby, and all her friends and even let it once be taken away in a twister. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing this place torn down either. The kid was right, it wasn't fair, not at all.

"You have to fight her!" he says, trying to bring back the old Granny, one who would shoot his great-grandmother in the heart with a crossbow for even stepping foot on the property.

"Why bother kid?" she sighs again, closing her magazine. "You're my first customer all day and you get a free pass because you're the mayor's kid…" She goes into the back of the restaurant, not feeling like talking anymore, and leaving Henry scared and heartbroken. The Black Fairy had a hold over the entire town in her black-hearted grasp and she was never going to let go.

…

Crystal walks along the street, hands in her jacket pockets, trying to get as far away from the hospital as possible. She does manage to get past the media circus now gathered outside of the building, trying to catch a glimpse of the found man. She is just glad that the story is so new that no one knows who she is… for once.

"Please God, help me here. I need someone to help me," she whispers under her breath. She hears the jingling of tags and looks up to see Archie walking Pongo.

"Good evening," he says politely, nodding at the girl. The redheaded psychiatrist doesn't give her a second glance.

In the growing darkness, Crystal turns onto a new street and stops when she sees a familiar neon sign, advertising her favourite place to eat. She realizes how hungry she is and wants another form of familiarity, she walks up the crumbling path and into the restaurant.


	19. Chapter 18: Reunited

Chapter 18: Reunited

"Do you mind if I have some hot chocolate?" Henry asks timidly. He figured the soothing drink with whipped cream and cinnamon on top would help him process everything, help cheer himself up, and give him some form of familiar comfort. After what Granny had told him, his plans to find people to help break the curse and free everyone from this hellish nightmare are going by the wayside and becoming seemingly impossible to accomplish. He, himself, is close to giving in.

"Do whatever you want," Granny grunts, turning away from the counter and walks towards the stairs, up to the bedrooms of her inn.

"I don't have any money to…"

"As if I care about money, I'll just put it on your mother's tab… it's not like she'll ever pay it. Maybe if she did, maybe I could afford to stay open."

"Where are you going?" the teenager asks.

"To take a nap, it's not like anyone is sleeping up here anyways. Not with the fancy hotels all over the place with casinos on the main floor," she mutters in fake excitement. Her tired footsteps fade as she disappears upstairs.

Henry scrambles behind the counter, going directly to the hot chocolate machine. He could make this beverage with his eyes shut. How many times would he kneel on a stool when he was young and watch Ruby mix the drink. The excitement and anticipation he'd feel as his mom treated him to this drink. And then later anyone in his family would treat him to the warm beverage and the smile he'd get when the warm, perfectly mixed chocolate touched his lips. He also enjoyed the smiles people gave him when he'd develop the whipped cream and cinnamon mustache from his first few sips. It was familiar to him and gave him the smallest form of comfort in all this confusion.

He hears the familiar bell over the door ring, indicating someone has entered the restaurant. This seems weird to Henry because if what Granny said was true and hardly anyone ever came in here except to either rob her, steal something, or to get free alcohol from her, why would be someone coming in at all? He wonders if that since _Granny's_ was always the hub of activity, someone still has the unconscious desire to visit the tiny diner for food, just like him.

The teen turns to see another familiar face. He gasps and blinks a few times at a person he hasn't seen in almost a month.

"H-Henry?!" Crystal gasps. Her heart drops into her stomach and she can feel tears forming in her eyes again. Her surrogate little brother is here! She tries to smile at him, happy to see someone she loves so much, but she becomes weary of his presence because whatever the curse has done has practically wiped her from existence. She's so scared and confused by everything that has happened that she's now prepared to believe that he would not recognize her.

However, that quickly changes with one simple word that escapes from the author's mouth.

"Crystal?" the young author asks.

In an instant, this confirms her greatest hopes. Tears stream down her face as Crystal runs to him and practically knocks him over as she wraps her arms around him. He drops his hot chocolate on the floor, causing the mug to shatter and the hot liquid to splatter all over their feet and the floor. But, neither notices as Crystal clings to him tightly, so happy and relieved that someone has finally remembered her.

"You… you remember me?"

"Of course, I remember you…" he begins, but he never gets to finish his sentence as she begins sobbing loudly in his arms. How could he forget the aunt he didn't know he had for such a long? He remembers when she first came to Storybrooke, sticking out like a sore thumb as the "stranger from the city" and how he'd welcomed her to town, talking over one of Granny's bacon cheeseburgers and how she guessed his correct favourite flavour of a milkshake. Then she offered to babysit his uncle and the two bonded over her disastrous dating history. And absolutely no one could forget the first time she encountered her father and used her powers to throw a car at him. The two had become close, developing a more brother-sister relationship, a connection that both of them treasured and hoped to rekindle after she moved to Storybrooke permanently.

"Oh God Henry!" she whispers through her tears. "Finally."

"What do you mean finally?" he asks as the two break apart. The two take in each other's appearances. Both of them can see in each other's eyes the stress and traumatic feelings that they have endured at the hands of this curse.

"Finally, someone who remembers me!"

"What do you mean who remembers you?"

"I ran into August, Aurora, Ashley and even Leroy and Archie and not one of them knows who I am anymore."

"It's because of the curse…" Henry says, trying to explain everything, assuming that Crystal had just come back from New York and was unaware of what had happened.

"I know I saw it, from the outside, Belle tried to warn me and I'm glad she did… to a point anyway, otherwise, I would have ended up like everyone else in this dirty city. This curse has basically wiped everyone's memories of me. All except you."

Henry gazes into Crystal's blue eyes and he can see the pain she's feeling. The thought that no one remembered who he was is heartbreaking. He's experienced some of this too, but obviously not at the full extent that she clearly has. It was like in the alternate universe that Isaac had created with his _Heroes and Villains_ book. No one knew who he was, with exception of Emma, and quite a few of his family members had tried to kill him on more than one occasion. Even here, one of his mothers is a complete stranger to him too. It hurts so much.

"I'm the only one who can remember everything," Henry explains. "It's just like the first curse, where no one believes me."

Crystal can see the hurt on his face, knowing the trauma that he'd likely endured when everyone thought he was crazy.

"I believe you," she says, trying to give him comfort. The two of them are now allowed the cry, finally having someone who understands their pain and what this curse has done to them. "You and I found each other. There must be a reason that we were spared. I'll tell you everything that I know, and you tell me everything that you know, and we'll go from there. I'd also like a little hot chocolate too."

Henry gives a small smile and the two then clean up the mess that was made and then sit down in the heart of Storybrooke to discuss their next move in order to break the curse.

 _A/N: They're finally together, this has been a long time coming and now they have to try and adapt to everything and break the curse. Please review._


	20. Chapter 19: Act Normal

Chapter 19: Act Normal

"First off," Crystal says, as the two of them sit down in a booth with new cups of hot chocolate with cinnamon and whipped cream on top, their comfort drinks to soothe their nerves and anxieties. "Emma and Killian, did they get married or did the curse interrupt it?"

"They got married," Henry confirms. The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin's heart sinks just a little bit, upset that she'd missed the ceremony of her surrogate sister and her good pirate friend. However, at the same time, if she had been at the wedding, she too would have been swept up in the curse and would likely not be having this conversation with Henry right now. "They were in the middle of their first dance as a happy couple, and we were all singing together."

"Really?" Crystal asks, rather surprised.

Henry goes on to explain the wish that Snow White had made back in the Enchanted Forest to help protect Emma and fight against the Evil Queen's curse, which caused everyone to sing their thoughts. The song in Emma's heart is what protected her from the Black Fairy crushing it and saved her loved ones from an equally terrible fate as they were being held hostage by the wicked woman at the time. Crystal tries to comprehend all this, but it was still a bit weird to her, despite her own existence as Rumpelstiltskin's daughter.

"Sounds like a full-fledged Disney movie," Crystal smirks. "Tell me, was Adele Dazeem singing a female-oriented power ballad there too?" This causes Henry to smile as well, which felt like he was smiling for the first time in years.

"No, but I think my mom and Zelena got their power ballads back then," he says, taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

"So, you guys were all singing and then…"

"The clock struck six, the curse burst through the clock tower and engulfed everyone," Henry continues.

"And then you woke up in this Black Fairy hell," Crystal finishes. She takes a long sip of her hot chocolate, wishing for something a bit stronger as both of them process the emotional turmoil that they've been through for the past 24 hours. "Seriously, this place is like the alternate present from Back to the Future II. I woke up to find August trying to break into my car."

"August?" Henry's eyes go wide. "You've seen him?"

"Yeah, he was actually trying to hide my car to avoid it being stolen by someone else."

"Well, I woke up, I was yelled at by some hookers and almost robbed by a gang, but saved by Grandpa," Henry says.

"Which Grandpa, my dad or Charming?"

"Your dad."

"Does he remember everything?" the daughter of the Dark One asks. If anyone could remember a curse and magic, it was her beloved father. "I mean he's found loopholes to curses before, right?"

"Yeah, but I didn't talk to him for very long, so I don't know. I got so overwhelmed that I ended up fainting."

Crystal does not laugh at him when he admits this. There were multiple times today where she felt like doing the same thing; everything was just so wrong and completely confusing that anyone's body would give out due to exhaustion if they were in this situation.

"I woke up in the penthouse of the Black Fairy's casino hotel. I managed to run away before she could do anything else and I ended up seeing Archie…" Henry swallows hard. "He asked me if we needed to set up another appointment, and then he took me to see my mom, Emma."

"Emma? What happened to her?"

"She's broken," Henry says, fighting back tears, remembering how overwhelmed and upset he felt when he saw his mother as a pale, thin patient in the psychiatric hospital. "She doesn't believe in anything anymore and she's locked up in the psychiatric hospital with Great-Grandma shoving meds down her throat and making her feel… well, like me, an outcast because of our beliefs. She doesn't believe in true love or magic anymore. It's so… wrong Crystal, you didn't see the way she acted… she… she…"

Crystal goes to the opposite end of the booth and pulls Henry into another much-needed hug. It was her turn to provide him comfort after he had done earlier during her emotional breakdown. She rubs his back and merely rests her chin on his slumped head, saying nothing and staring forward. She too is in shock about what has become of her "sister," Emma should be over the moon and happy having finally married Killian, but instead she's as lost as she was when she first came to Storybrooke. Crystal can't imagine being locked up in the psych ward… in fact, her grandmother has turned the once-enchanted town into the real world… more so than Regina's curse ever did. Believing that fairy tales and magic were real would have put any of their loved ones in psychiatric care a long time ago. The Land Without Magic did not believe in these things and it haunts Crystal especially because at one point she thought the voice in her head meant that she was schizophrenic instead of Rumpelstiltskin's daughter, which meant his demonic voice was in her head as part of the dark magic she carried in her veins.

"It's okay Henry," she finally says as she squeezes him tightly. "We'll get her out of there. I think that should be our first step…"

The daughter of the Dark One is cut off when her special vision takes over and she can see the dark energy of the Black Fairy coming up the street.

"Oh crap!" she hisses. She pushes back from Henry in a panic.

"What?"

"Grandma's coming, she can't know I'm here!"

"What why?" Henry asks, his heart pounding in his chest

"T-There's no time to explain… I…I have to hide…" she gets up, ready to head upstairs and hide.

"But…"

"Henry please trust me, if she doesn't know I'm here, she won't hurt anybody. I'm sorry but you're going to have to go home with her. Just act like everything is normal until I can find you again." She scrambles to get her things together, ditching her mug in the trash before heading upstairs. "It won't be for long I promise."

"No… I…"

But before Henry can say anything else, Crystal has gone upstairs, basically vanished from sight and he's left alone in the booth as the bell over the door rings and heavy high-heels punish the tiled floor.

The teenager winces, knowing exactly who it is and he's reluctant to turn to face her. He still stares in the direction of where Crystal, his only ally, has disappeared.

"There you are!" Fiona says in a concerned voice. She forces herself to go over and hug Henry, which he squirms out of rather quickly. "Lord on Earth Henry, where the hell have you been?"

 _Avoiding you_ , he thinks to himself. His mind races, trying to find a legitimate excuse. Instead, he decides to give the most basic teenage response. "Nowhere."

"Look at you, you're filthy, you smell like smoke. You skipped the rest of school, you wouldn't answer any of my texts and I've been running all over the city trying to find you. What is wrong with you Henry Daniel Blackwell?!"

"Mills" he hisses through gritted teeth.

"What was that?" she asks sharply, her dark eyes lasering in on him.

Crystal's words echo in his head, he must make it seem like everything is normal, which it isn't for either of them, not by a long shot. He doesn't understand why and he's desperate to act now, take out their enemy to break this curse, but Rumple's daughter must have some kind of plan already. A plan that requires more time to form and explain. So he's basically forcing himself to trust his only ally and his "sister."

"Nothing," he mutters. He reluctantly stands up and puts his backpack on, knowing what will likely happen next. It happened back when his mother was mayor; he would be punished every time he ran away or disobeyed her. While now he knows Regina was doing it out of desperation and love to keep him, it had felt like he was a prisoner in his own home and the former Evil Queen was the warden. He figures a very similar situation is about to play out now.

"You are in a lot of trouble mister. We'll discuss it when we get home. Now come on, the chauffeur has parked up the street."

"But what about the hot chocolate?"

"What about it?"

"I need to pay for it."

"No, we'll put it on our tab like we always do," Fiona says, trying to guide him towards the door.

"But Granny needs the money," he protests, slowing his walk to stall for time.

"What she needs to do is retire comfortably. An old woman like this should not be running a restaurant," she says sternly, pushing him out the door and letting the bells ring once more as they leave. However, Fiona had the feeling in the pit of her stomach that Henry was talking to someone other than the old cook, he wasn't just alone in that diner.

Crystal watches from the upstairs window as Henry is led to a long black car up the street and forced to get in. She feels so guilty for having made him go with the evillest woman in all the realms. If anything, she would have loved to poof them both back to the mansion that she'd found Phillip in and stay in hiding to plan their next move properly, but unfortunately, the Black Fairy was right behind them. The young woman knows her existence still must be secret in order to break the curse from the inside and unfortunately, this meant Henry had to act as normal as possible until such time as their plan could be perfected and put into motion.

As she gazes out the window, watching the car disappear into the darkness, she hears footsteps behind her and she turns to see Granny walking towards this alleged intruder. She's adjusting her glasses accordingly and rubbing her eyes, clearly having been woken up by the chaos downstairs.

"Who the hell are you?" the old woman grumbles.

Crystal's stomach turns, knowing she's just going to have to get used to people not recognizing her… at least for now.

"I'm… Amelia Wyatt, and I am wondering if I could rent a room for the night," Crystal lies smoothly.

"Why would you want a room when there are hundreds of hotels in the city?"

"Because I want some place that is quieter and a bit classier than those pig sties of filth and gambling on Main Street. I like your place much better," she says, speaking the honest truth.

"Well, I can give you a room key. It'll be 200 dollars a night," Granny says.

"I'll take it," the young woman says eagerly.

The old woman cannot believe her relatively good fortune that she had a customer, for the first time in a long time it seemed. She begins walking down the hall and Rumple's daughter promptly follows.

The two make it down to the front desk and Granny opens the dusty guest book and begins writing in the name.

"Junkyard view or forest view?" the old woman asks.

"Forest please," Crystal says.

Granny takes down the rest of the details before handing the girl the fancy key.

"Welcome to Stygian, Miss Wyatt."

 _A/N: Crystal is beginning to mirror Emma more and more. Special thanks to Sammii16 for the review and yes OnceUponAFangirlOUAT we need to break this curse. Please follow and review._


	21. Chapter 20: Fake It and Break It

Chapter 20: Fake It and Break It

"And furthermore, if I catch you skipping school again, I will add more days to your grounding. You will also be paying me back for the missing phone." Fiona says sternly as the black car carrying her and Henry stops in front of the casino hotel. "Is that anyway unclear?"

Henry is hardly paying attention to anything that she has said, he just keeps looking down at the floor of the car, trying to formulate some kind of plan in his mind. He doesn't care about the groundings because she wasn't his real mother, he doesn't care about school because there were much more important things happening around him, and finally he doesn't care about anything about his current situation because none of it is real and now that he knows that he has an ally in the cause, he knows this wicked woman can be defeated.

Fiona becomes furious by the fact that Henry is still ignoring her, so she roughly grabs his face with her hand so that they are looking into each other's eyes. Henry tries not to show fear as he gazes into her eyes… they are supposed to be brown, but in the limited light, they look as black as night… it's like staring into the darkened abyss of space or a black hole that sucks all the light and happiness from his existence. One could say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but Henry was sure that The Black Fairy had no soul.

"I said, is that anyway **_unclear_**?" she snarls, putting dark emphasis on the last word. Henry can feel the coldness in her voice and it sends shivers up his spine.

"Yes Ma'me," he says, before finally being released from her spidery fingers.

"Good, now I want you to go straight upstairs and do the homework that you missed. You're lucky your Uncle Gideon was nice enough to go get the work from school for you."

 _Uncle Gideon?!_ The thought makes the teenager's stomach turn violently. While they all knew that Gideon was not evil by choice, he had still tried to kill his mother multiple times before that, so the very mentioning of him being related to "the hooded figure" makes him shift uncomfortably. And knowing that Fiona was the one controlling and manipulating his half-uncle the whole time is merely creepy on top of everything else.

Henry doesn't say another word, he grabs his bag and goes through the rotating doors of the hotel that he is forced to call home. He actually looks at the bright, sparkling neon sign and learns the name of this overpriced prison; **_The Golden Deal_** , likely a bad word-play on his Grandpa Gold's curse name and his nature as Rumpelstiltskin spinning straw into gold. The sign glitters like it's made of gold and there are bright spotlights shining up into the night sky to attract attention to the hotel-casino. There are people lining the streets, waiting to get inside. Henry is easily let through by a security guard and he enters the crowded and noisy lobby. He hates to look at this grotesque display of greed and the curse any longer than he has to, the teenager goes to the elevator, pushes the button and then gets on the lift, riding it up to the penthouse alone.

When he gets off the lift, he goes to the heavy oak doors at the end of the hall and slips inside. Again, he ignores the Mediterranean mural below his feet and the fancy crystal chandelier hanging above him in the main hall. He begins climbing the steps when he hears the sound of ice tinkling in a glass. He turns to see his grandfather casually drinking a martini as he hobbles down the upstairs hallway, which has velvet carpeting with flecks of gold woven into the material.

When the Dark One notices his grandson, he immediately stops and goes to greet Henry. He places his martini down on an antique looking table and then limps towards the young author. To the boy's great shock, Rumpelstiltskin wraps him in an affectionate and seemingly earnest hug.

"Henry," he says quietly, patting the boy's back. "I'm so glad that you are safe and home."

The author shifts slightly, uncomfortable with this show of affection. As far as anyone knew, the Dark One could not stand any physical forms of affection with anyone besides Belle. In fact, Crystal often had to force her father into giving her hugs and she no doubt would love to trade places with Henry at this very moment to feel the seemingly loving connection her father is trying to make with him.

The older man stands back and sniffs the air suspiciously. He leans forward and smells Henry's coat.

"You stink of tobacco son," Rumple says skeptically. When Henry lets out a heavy sigh of annoyance wanting to able to go to his room and think of a plan, but then his grandfather also recoils in disgust from his breath.

"Have you been drinking too?" he asks in a highly accusatory tone. He takes another smell of his grandson's breath. "Did you eat some cinnamon too?"

The teenager takes a step back, not wanting to answer the question, but his silence does this for Rumple.

"What have you been doing Henry?"

The Dark One frowns at Henry, his eyes staring daggers into his grandson's face. He puts his hand on his cane, which now had a crystal skull on the end of it. His foot taps as he waits for an answer.

"I…I ended up... meeting with some people… it was kind of like a party…"

It wasn't a total lie but hanging out with a motorcycle gang sounded much worse than it actually turned out to be.

Rumple raises his eyebrow in suspicion, grasping the skull of his cane with both hands and there is a lengthened silence between them with only the sounds of the antique grandfather clock, likely collected from the Dark One's shop, ticks away the seconds, and the sounds of crowds of gamblers playing their card and slot games far below them.

"Is that the whole story?" the older man inquires.

"Please don't tell her," Henry whispers in an almost begging tone. While he truly did not care about the consequences of hanging around Violet and her motorcycle gang, he had to act normal for the time being. "I'm already in trouble for skipping school."

Suddenly, the corners of Rumple's mouth twitch and then they lift into a smile… a knowing smile, as if the Dark One knew exactly what Henry had been doing. This was not likely the case as it was heavily implied that his mind was still within the grasp of the curse, but he simply nods and chuckles to himself.

"Boys will always be boys," he mutters to himself. "And teenagers will be teenagers. Don't worry son, I will not tell her. This is the time to explore and break the rules, feel the freedom that the fickleness of youth brings you. In fact, there are many things that I've kept a secret from my mother and would still like to avoid being punished for it."

While this is not the reaction that he was expecting, Henry is relieved that his grandfather appears to be on the heroes' side this time, despite the fact that he'd gotten them all into this mess in the first place by lying about the Black Fairy's death. No further words would be spoken to the black-hearted woman.

"Thank you," he whispers. "Goodnight Grandpa."

"Goodnight Henry," Rumpelstiltskin grins before turning to retrieve his martini and continue towards his destination.

The teenager finally finds his room and slams the door shut. He sighs in great relief and slides down the door until he's in a sitting position against it. He lays his head against the hard oak wood of the door, utterly exhausted from the day he's had. So much to process in so little time. He shuts his eyes and wishes that everything would just stop, allow him to catch his breath and rest for just a minute. Acting normal is hard enough when there is not a demonic fairy actively pursuing him and trying to control his life while the rest of his real family are suffering in an asylum and in the hands of alcoholism.

 _How did it get to be this way?_ He ponders to himself, trying to fight sleep for as long as possible.

He couldn't rest yet, there was too much to do. He needed a plan and he had to get back in touch with Crystal so they could finish their conversation.

When he opens his eyes again, they fall on the glass case that held his storybook inside. Remembering his author's pen, Henry gets up and goes to the case. He searches for any kind of way to open it; maybe with a key or a button he had to push, but there was nothing. He realizes that Fiona had encased the book as a way for him to never get his hands on it again. Everyone assumed that he'd finally "outgrown" his fairy tale phase and now, this book was meant to be kept there forever; frozen in time, never allowing the author to finish his stories and to prevent The Final Battle from ever happening. However, Henry was not going to let that stop him.

He finds a heavy looking ornament near his comic book shelf, it looked like some kind of prop from a movie, a warrior's helmet made of real metal for realism. Knowing that it is perfect, Henry throws the thing at the glass case.

To his horror, the helmet merely bounces off and clatters to the floor. Undeterred, the teenager grabs the sword that had been mounted on the wall and he makes use of all his strength to try and break the case. However, despite denting the edges of the weapon, the book and case remain intact. There wasn't even a scratch on the clear casing. He's sweating and breathing heavily, thankful that no one heard the chaos that he'd been causing.

Henry immediately suspects magic is protecting it, his great-grandmother's desperate attempt to keep the author from reuniting with his book. He knows that there's only one way to break it, fight magic with magic. He had to get Crystal up here as soon as possible.

 _A/N: Please review._


	22. Chapter 21: Operation Evil Twin

Chapter 21: Operation Evil Twin

The following morning, Crystal wakes up to the familiar gloom of the Maine mornings and goosebumps form on her skin immediately as she stretches out in the cool air. She'd left her window open in the room because it was unbelievably stuffy in _Granny's_ and was also not the exactly the cleanest either. The widow Lucas had seriously let her business go downhill because of the curse, which is understandable considering she was competing with the casinos, the hotels, bars, and restaurants in this city. It actually appeared that Granny lived in one of the rooms of the bed and breakfast for unknown reasons. Maybe to ensure that if this building is torn down, she'll go with it. Her pride and joy and the heart of the tiny town was slowly crumbling. It was as if the Black Fairy was literally reaching into the chest of Storybrooke, removing the heart and slowly crushing it into dust.

"We have to stop her," Crystal mutters to herself as she examines herself in the mirror before hopping into a shower.

Once she feels clean and refreshed, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin goes downstairs to smell the cooking of bacon. Her heart skips a beat, she's been waiting more than a month to have one of Granny's breakfast specials again. Everything in Storybrooke had its own unique flavour, something that the young woman has longed to come back to.

She hops in front of the counter onto a bar stool and waits for some service. It takes a while but eventually, Granny appears, having come out of the kitchen with her apron covered in flour and flecks of bacon grease spotting her glasses. She looks surprised to see that she has a customer waiting to place their order.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting. I'm surprised you'd even want to eat here. I'm sure there's an all-day breakfast buffet in one of the hotels or an _IHOP_ somewhere for you to go."

"I'm not that kind of person," Crystal says honestly. "I'd rather have a homecooked meal in a small quiet diner than eat overpriced garbage in some loud casino."

"You've certainly come to the wrong city if that's what you desire," the old woman grumbles. She goes over to the coffee machine and pours herself a cup of coffee. "Want some?" she offers.

"Yes please," Crystal nods.

Once she's taken a good long sip, she decides to pry a little more to further her understanding of the curse. "So… didn't this place used to be a small town?"

"Once," Granny mutters, milling about, cleaning up certain things along the countertop. "A long time ago… In fact, it's been so long that I can barely remember myself. How do you know that?"

 _Typical curse mindset, nothing is specific about dates or time, it's just "as long as I can remember."_

"Well… what happened was I had parked my car on the side of the road while waiting for someone…"

"Bad move," the old woman grunts.

"So, I've been told. Anyways, I ended up falling asleep in my car and waking up to some guy trying to break into my car. When I confronted him, he told me he was actually trying to move my car to avoid it being stolen."

"Sounds like August Booth," Granny says.

"You know him?"

"He rides his motorcycle around the city and stops here from time to time…"

 _Residents of Storybrooke still habitually come to Granny's_ , Crystal thinks in her mind. It's as if she's making a checklist in her mind of the impact the curse has on everyone.

"He tries to help people avoid the theft of their cars. He considers himself a good Samaritan by "breaking into" the cars and moving them to the impound lot or the police station."

"At least someone here cares enough to do that," the girl mutters.

"Ain't that the truth," the old woman nods in agreement.

Suddenly, there's the smell of something burning in the back.

"Oh crap!" Granny screeches, running into the back to save whatever was burning. Crystal can hear the old woman swearing under her breath as she likely turns off the skillet or frying pan that held the bacon. Eventually, she calls out to her customer.

"I was making breakfast for myself, but there's enough for two here, is that okay? The bacon is going to be a little burnt though."

"That's fine," Crystal says. Any food of Granny's, even burnt, would still be better.

Eventually, the cook brings out two plates that have pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage on them. Crystal's mouth waters and she scarfs down all the bacon at once, despite it being burned.

"Whoa, what an appetite," the cook says.

"I love home cooked food," the girl says, thinking quickly instead of trying to tell the old woman that she's missed the cooking. She slows down to savour the meal for as long as possible.

"So where are you from Miss Wyatt…" Granny asks, pouring herself some more coffee and offering the girl some syrup to dump on her pancakes.

Crystal almost responds with "who?" when she remembers her temporary identity. "Uhm… Washington state, but I also lived in New York too. My… family owns a scrap metal dealership and I travel all around different states, any place where I can to find good deals."

"Sounds interesting."

"I try to make it work, it pays the bills," the girl shrugs.

"So, what's your relationship to the mayor's kid?" the old woman inquires further. "I heard you guys talking last night."

Crystal swallows a few of her eggs hard. She knew that if Granny went around talking about how she and Henry discussed the curse, they'd be caught for sure and probably thrown in the asylum with Emma. "How much did you hear?"

"Just the crying and the smashing of one of my mugs."

"I can pay for that," the girl offers, slightly relieved that it wasn't as much as she thought.

"No need, so how do you know Henry?"

"He and I go way back… we have a special bond that cannot be broken so easily."

"Where'd you meet him?"

Suddenly, the door bursts open and in walks Henry, panting heavily because he's just run all the way across town to get here. He wasn't sure where Crystal would be, in fact, she could have been anywhere in the city, but he figured she'd probably stay in what was familiar.

"Henry!" Crystals say, relieved that she doesn't have to answer any more of Granny's questions. "Are you okay?"

"We…can I speak with you outside please Crystal?" he says, still trying to catch his breath. He leans forward, trying to soothe a cramp in his side.

"Uh sure." She finishes her food and then reaches into her purse to pull out some money for the meal. She also leaves a decent tip for Granny, despite the poor service and the crummy coffee. "Keep the change Granny, I'll see you later on." She then follows the young author outside, without a second glance at the Widow Lucas.

The two walk out of the restaurant and into a back alleyway where they can speak in private.

Henry is still wheezing from running so Crystal conjures up a bottle of water for him.

"Thanks…" he says before chugging the entire thing in less than 15 seconds.

"What's wrong Henry? Is everything okay?"

"I wish it was. I heard the Black Fairy talking to Archie this morning and she says she's thinking about releasing my mom back to Boston really soon."

"How soon," Crystal asks.

"Like within the next week or so."

"Well, that gives us some time,"

"Not enough though! I don't have my storybook and it's protected by magic... I'm going to need your help with that and I swear that the Black Fairy is always listening in on me. I also think she has that chauffeur follow me everywhere now. And she says that she will ground me if I skip school again… I don't really care, but she'll probably punish my mom more than me. We're only supposed to be seeing each other once every two weeks now."

"Weeks? That's awful."

"I know so I was hoping your magic could help me with some of this… give us a head start"

"You mean like create a clone of you or something?"

"If you can," Henry says, looking at her with hopeful eyes.

The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin bites her lip hard. Even with her magic, she still had limits with what she could do. This seems like a lot to ask, but she and Henry need each other in order to break this curse.

"I don't know a spell right now, but you do know the best place to find books like that?"

"Your dad's shop!" Henry says, his eyes light up in excitement.

"And if we can't find it there, then the Library is the next stop," she agrees.

"Perfect, _Operation Evil Twin_ is a go,"

Crystal smiles widely before pulling Henry into a hug, happy to have her little brother back. She'd never been a part of an operation before and she loved the child-like attitude and imagination he still has, something she prays he never grows out of. It also felt like they could really accomplish something if they had a name for it. the two hurry off down the street, towards the place that would hopefully have some answers.

 _A/N: We have an Operation name, but I might need an operation name for the whole curse breaking storyline._


	23. Chapter 22: In the Dark

Chapter 22: In the Dark

The two race down the empty streets of the marginalized town, trying not to be seen by this alleged chauffeur that might be following Henry around. They knew that their time was extremely limited because school started in 30 minutes or less. They pass places they knew and loved but were now closed; like a dress shop and the Storybrooke garage. They run past the clock tower, which is now frozen at 8:21, the windows of the library are covered with newspaper, and there's a chain wrapped around the handles of the entrance. It was still a depressing sight to see, even after everything that both Crystal and Henry had seen.

They reach Rumpelstiltskin's shop and only stop briefly to catch their breaths. They look up at the busted-up sign, which reads something different than from before the curse:

 ** _Gold & Son Pawnbrokers & Antiquities _**

The name stung just a little for Crystal; if anything it should have been **_Gold and Family Pawnbrokers & Antiquities_**, but then she remembered in this curse, her father would not remember her. For a second, the thought that since this curse created a timeline where she seemingly never existed… could that mean that she was never born? Would she cease to exist just like _Back to the Future_? She hastily looks at her hands for a moment, but they weren't disappearing, and she was feeling fine. Besides, neither of them went into the past and messed something up anyways, they were in the present, which means she had to exist.

The shop was boarded up like every other building in this disintegrating Storybrooke and was vandalized with spray paint, obviously by someone who hated Gold or ran afoul of his pawnshop business. There were phrases like _Fool's Gold_ , _Watch Your Investments Die_ , _Death to the Monster_ , and _Gold is the Devil_ , smeared across the windows. At some point, Crystal would have delighted in seeing her father's place defaced like this, as well as many other citizens of Storybrooke because technically nothing in the shop belonged to her father, but rather the souls who had been swept up in Regina's curse. Even Hook's hand was in there somewhere, as well as Geppetto's deceased parents in the form of marionettes.

But they weren't after artifacts like that, they wanted spellbooks.

Crystal uses her magic to break the lock and allow both of them to slip inside. The place is filled with dust and it smells awful, like mildew and the faint smell of furniture polish. This was a scent Henry knew well when he'd been his grandfather's "apprentice" while trying to learn more about the Author. Henry tries the lights, but all the bulbs seem to be burnt out. Crystal uses her magic to conjure up a couple of purple orbs of light. The problem is, they are not as bright as they could be. Rumple's daughter snaps her fingers a couple of times, trying to get the spheres to glow more intensely, but they still have a shadowy and darker tint to their surfaces.

"Split up," Crystal mutters and the two go to opposite ends of the shop, going through the shelves in search of spellbooks.

They ignore the dust and cobwebs that have appeared with the curse, meant to signal the lack of use, they sort through everything that they can for something helpful.

The problem is, there are no enchanted artifacts. Crystal had the unusual ability to detect magical potential in various objects merely by touching them and this power first manifested in the very same shop in which they were standing in. She could see visions of how this object came to be in her father's possession and sometimes could even hear voices that accompanied them. However, as she searched through a bunch of old stuffed animals on one of the shelves, she couldn't hear or see anything. These were just regular objects, no enchantment on them at all. She scans through a spyglass, ducks under a bicycle hanging from the roof, an old metal box, a tea set with rabbits on them, a weird looking dagger, copper eyeglasses, a porcelain seashell, an old oil lamp and many other things, but there was no magical potential at all. Even Killian's hand and Geppetto's puppet parents weren't there. When she did get to a shelf of books, none of them were about spells, merely an atlas and a few volumes of a famous author.

"Any luck?" she calls across the shop, hoping Henry has found something.

"Nothing," he calls back.

"There's something wrong here," she says.

"What do you mean?"

"Usually I hear voices when I step into my dad's shop."

"Is that supposed to be normal?" Henry asks skeptically.

"It's part of my powers, I can see visions or hear whispers from these different things, but there's been nothing but silence since we entered, it's as if all the magic has been drained from this place and it's nothing but junk,"

"Well, he wouldn't keep spell books out in the open," Henry realizes. He nods to the safe on the back wall behind the counter. The two nodded, knowing this is where Rumpel kept his most precious objects like his dagger and the chipped teacup that reminded him of Belle. They race behind the counter and Crystal uses magic to open the safe.

However, what's inside is less than helpful. It's just a bunch of legal documents including Rumple's last will and testament; ironic considering he's immortal, deeds for land in the city, including _Granny's_ , which Henry quickly pockets so it could help save the restaurant from his tyrannical great-grandmother. There is also Belle's copy of _Her Handsome Hero_ , Belle's favourite book and the inspiration for her son's name, Gideon.

"Damn it!" Crystal hisses. "Where did all the spell books go?"

"We have to hurry," Henry says, knowing that their time was short, if some version of him did not appear at school in the next fifteen minutes, it would incur the wrath of the Black Fairy as a mother again.

"I know, I know," she hisses, trying to think straight. Nothing about any of this made sense, why was her father's shop filled with useless junk all of a sudden. For some reason, she shoves the book into Henry's bag for safe-keeping.

Crystal decides to take a step back. She closes her eyes to concentrate, hoping the voices would come back to her.

"What are you doing?" Henry asks.

"Just shut up for a minute," she insists, trying to concentrate. Her magic is flowing through her veins, she can feel the energy surrounding her body and it seemingly causes the world to stop. She kneels for a moment and puts her hand against the floorboards. She opens her eyes, allowing her enchanted vision to take over. She should have used it from the start.

Focusing extremely hard, she can faintly hear the sounds of whispers again. She goes into the back of the shop as if in a trance, scanning every section of the room for magical objects. Again, it's merely filled with useless junk, until Crystal feels vibrations at her feet. She puts her hands on the floorboards again and she can see something glowing in the ground. She uses some of her magic and traces a circle on the hardwood. Slowly, but surely, the circle begins to glow brighter and brighter, to the point where Henry, who has been watching this the entire time, has to squint to avoid going blind.

When the light fades, a circular door has appeared in the middle of the floor. Crystal opens it carefully, her eyes still glowing slightly with her powers, and leans down into an underground-type tunnel.

"Come on," she says, slipping down into the hole and seemingly vanishing from sight. "And close the door as you come.

"Crystal… what…" he says, completely speechless. Henry becomes skeptical about following her into a mysterious hole; this is how Alice got her start, but he trusts that she's found something important and hopefully useful. He swings his legs down into the passageway, finding a ladder and then slowly climbs down after Crystal. He hesitates in shutting the only way out, but he has to follow her, so he shuts it, leaving him completely in the dark.

The place is almost pitch dark and Henry struggles to keep his footing in the tightly packed space. It felt like he was climbing down a narrow slide and had no idea where he was going to come out. The air seems to get heavier and colder, the further he went.

Eventually, he sees a faint light below him and he eagerly jumps down into what appears to be a cavern of some kind. It's lit by torches and carved out of the stone surrounding them.

"It looks like we're in the mines," he says as he finds Crystal staring almost hypnotically at a thick stone wall in front of them, lit by a single torch. As he goes up beside her and sees some kind of markings on the wall. They seem to mean nothing, but it looks like they could form some kind of word or code. The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin puts her hand out to touch the wall but is suddenly repelled backwards. This seems to snap her out of the trance and she waves her hand out, trying to get rid of the pain. Henry can see the skin on her hand is red as if something had burned her. Crystal waves her hand to heal the wound.

"Dark magic," she says, staring at the carvings.

"But why? What's down here?" Henry asks

"I think the Black Fairy moved all the enchanted objects down here to hide them from the real world and to prevent anyone from using them to stop her," Crystal explains. "And I think what we need is behind this wall."

"But if it's full of dark magic, how are we going to get in?"

Crystal sighs heavily, knowing what this will entail.

"You might want to step back Henry," she says quietly.

"Why?"

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"But Crystal…"

"Henry please," she begs, giving him a desperate look. "We don't have a lot of time, I can't explain everything to you."

Deciding not to question it further, Henry backs up until he's on the opposite wall. He leans into himself to protect his body.

Crystal inhales sharply, knowing what she's going to have to do to bypass the dark magic.

She closes her eyes and allows her mind to flood with sad and angry memories. Her body seizes up with rage from the memory of when she threw the car at her father and nearly strangled him to death when she threw her magical tantrum. The rage she felt towards him abandoning her and her mother to the unknown, such a cowardly gesture. Tears fill her eyes as she recalls how hurt and angry she was when Snow thought she was too dangerous to come near baby Neal, or when Mason sent her the break-up text. The darker energy begins to stir inside of her, consuming her form, like droplets of ink saturating a glass of water, tainting, and clouding it with blackness. She sucks in another deep breath, allowing the dreadful emotions to enter her body.

She braces herself for what comes next. She swallows again as the memory begins to play.

Coming home from the police station, the shouting at one another, the room becoming bright with light, grasping her mother, and squeezing the life out of her, the war inside her body as she refused to do what the voice told her. The destruction of her family home, the blood flowing from the wound made by a weapon that she'd created, holding her mother, pleading for her to hold on, the woman's last breath, watching her spirit leave her body… the feeling of being truly alone.

Devastation and agony…

As the memory ends, Crystal is crying hard, the memory was still as fresh as the day it happened and having to watch it again just opened the wounds. The ground beneath her shakes slightly, causing cracks in the rock.

Henry swallows nervously, he had no idea what she is doing, but he presses his back against the wall further and slides back towards the ladder in case the rumbling gets so bad that the ceiling starts to collapse. He never understood the full extent of Crystal's powers, he knew she had good and bad abilities, but usually, he only saw the good. He swallows hard, realizing that he was about to witness the Mr. Hyde to Crystal's Dr. Jekyll.

The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin lets out a whimper of pain. She missed her mother a lot and wanted to do anything to bring her back. Her heartfelt like it was being stomped on or crushed by the Evil Queen. Why did she do this to the woman who loved her? What drove her to kill like that? Why did she destroy her own life? Why was she relieving this excruciating moment?

Then the next sign of her darkness comes back.

 _Miss me, dearie?_ The wicked voice chuckles.

Crystal bites her lip hard and begins grinding her teeth together. She opens her mouth to speak but then closes it knowing if she ended up talking aloud to nothing, Henry would think she was crazy.

 _Let's just get this over with_ , she whimpers in her head.

 _Why so quickly? I thought we could have some more fun… Maybe find a few more drunks to beat up and break their arms._

 _We're under the gun for time_ ,

 _We? Oh, that's right, the useless adolescent over there._

 _Don't call Henry that!_ She snarls internally, biting her lip. _Henry is my brother and I love him._

 _Love will not help you here,_

 _I know! Just shut up and help!_ she demands, closing her eyes tightly.

She puts her hand forward, reaching the wall again. She can feel her hand starting to burn, but it's not as intense as it was because now there is darkness inside of her. She lets that ominous energy flow through her and into the wall. The markings on the wall begin to glow a very dark purple and Crystal wills them to shift and reform into the password required to gain entry to the other side. Eventually, the markings form into the words _**tenebris angelus**_ … The underground area begins to shake more violently than before, Crystal steps back as the words glow a bright blue and then the wall slides open, revealing a mountain of objects, stored inside like some kind of safe. The voices from the objects hit her like a wave on the seashore. Henry can see all the familiar things from his grandfather's shop; Killian's hand, the imp's spinning wheel, the marionettes, the globe that used a drop of blood to track family members, chunks of ruins, an old clock, one of Zelena's brooms, Snow White's now blackened wedding dress, and the sword… the sword that was supposed to kill Emma. Henry was sure that the spell books were inside and his heart races in excitement and relief, that is until he looks at his companion.

Crystal collapses to one knee and breathes heavily. Her body shakes with the sheer amount of dark energy inside of it. She tries to think about happy things again, her mother's love, the family she has in Storybrooke, the good in the world, but the darkness puts up a fight. She lets out a scream of pain and pants heavily, fighting a battle within herself.

Without hesitation, Henry runs to her side, he wraps his arms around her.

"Crystal…?" he asks. "Crystal are you okay?"

She doesn't answer at first, but the strength of the author's embrace ignites a warm glow inside her heart. She feels light beginning to spread within her body, her limbs tremble slightly and tears fall from her eyes as she finally manages to smile.

"I love you, Henry," she whispers.

"I love you too," he says, unsure as to why she said this but looked like she needed the warmth.

She finally stands up, the balance having been restored to her body. She looks up to see Henry's concerned face and she pulls him into a full hug.

"What? What was that? What happened to you?" he asks.

"They don't call me the daughter of the Dark One for nothing," she mutters as the two of them step into the room to find the books.

 _A/N: In the Dark has a double meaning in this chapter, do you know it? Also, I challenge my readers to find the meaning of Fiona's password on the wall._


	24. Chapter 23: Balanced

Chapter 23: Balanced

The room in which Henry and Crystal had discovered is filled with many items and is actually bigger than they had first anticipated. Nevertheless, they immediately begin digging through the mountain of junk that had been removed from Rumpelstiltskin's shop due to their magical potential and piled behind the stone wall down in the mines where no one would ever suspect to look. They begin searching for books of any kind that could help them, the only problem was, everything was a mess and merely thrown into random places within the place.

"I guess the curse didn't care if it stacked everything neatly or not," Henry jokes. He swallows as he continues to look at Crystal. All the colour has drained from her face and she seems particularly shaken from whatever happened to her. He'd freaked out when she'd told him that he should stand back in case he got hurt. He was more than aware of the shockwaves she was known to create and how powerful they could be, but he'd never seen her so shaken or afraid in her life. Her body seemed to contort slightly as she concentrated on whatever it was that she was doing and she panted heavily, he could even see her fists shaking slightly as if in anger.

"Are you okay?" he asks timidly, shoving his way past a suit of armour.

"I'm fine," she says dismissively.

"Are you sure you don't need to take a few minutes?" he suggests gently.

"I said I'm _**fine**_ Henry," she says, a bit more annoyed than before. "Let's just focus on finding spell books okay?"

 _Are you sure?_ the voice in her head cackled. _Because it seems like you are merely saying so…_

"Shut up, shut up…" she hisses under her breath, grinding her teeth.

"What was that?" Henry asks.

"Nothing," Crystal says firmly, biting her lip.

 _You can't get rid of us so easily…_

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

 _Yes dearie, are you?_

"I SAID I'M _**FINE**_ ," she barks, her voice much deeper than before. She tosses some weird looking candlestick in Henry's direction. Fortunately, it misses and merely goes flying out the door and clatters against the rock wall.

Henry's hazel eyes go wide in surprise and Crystal gasps when she sees the horror on his face. The teenager shrinks slightly into himself and presses against one of the stone walls, feeling completely cornered and afraid. He shakes slightly as he looks at his partner. The entire world seems to stop and her hands shake in fear. She immediately breaks down into tears.

"Oh God Henry," she says. "I'm so sorry." She hurries over the pile of junk and pulls him into a hug. "I'm so sorry, I d-don't know what c-came over me… please, I'm so sorry,"

Despite his recent fear of her, Henry willingly embraces Crystal. Her entire body is cold, and she shakes from her crying.

"It's okay, Crystal," he mutters quietly, not sounding as reassured as he should be. He rubs her back gently. "But what happened there…"

"It's kind of hard t-to explain," she says, pushing herself out of her "brother's" arms.

"Do you want to try and explain it while we keep looking?" he suggests, knowing that they are running out of time before some form of him must be at school.

She bites her lip and then nods quietly. The two begin looking through the junk again while Crystal begins to tell Henry the truth.

"You know how I have both light and dark magic?" she asks, digging through a pile of weird-looking weapons and shields.

"Yeah," he prompts, shoving a weird looking mirror aside to see what's behind it. "Doesn't the darkness come from Grandpa?"

"Yes, it does, and the light comes from the love of my mother. It creates a balancing act, one that is a daily struggle to maintain every day."

"Really?" he says in surprise, shocked by how calm and collected Crystal usually was.

"Everyday it's a struggle… think of it as a scale. If I have more love in my life, the lighter the magic I have, the more darkness I have…" she trails off as she moves onto another pile of artifacts. "You get the idea."

"Y-Yeah, I do," the author says nervously.

"Well, an additional component of my darkness is the voice of my father in my head. It's been there since the day I was born, always tempting me to do bad things. For the longest time, I thought I was just schizophrenic… Anyways… ever since I came back to town, my dark side has been acting up a lot more. I think it's because of the dark curse and the fact that no one remembers me here, I have less love in my life to keep me balanced. And the fact that the tyrant 'Black Lady' uses dark spells and enchantments, the only way I can bypass them is by leaning into my dark side more…"

"So, that's what you were doing in order to open the wall?" Henry asks.

"Yes… And… the more I put my toe in this dark well, the harder it is to get myself out again. I start to get angry at my darkness and try to fight it, which is why I wanted you to stay away so you didn't get hurt, but I lashed out at you anyways. The voice in my head was taunting me and I tried to break free of it, only for you to be the victim of it instead."

She wipes a few tears from her eyes and swallows a large lump in her throat. "You have no idea what it's like to have these voices in your head that you can't get rid of. You can't threaten them because they don't fear anything, not even death. It feels like you have no control over anything… It's what I heard the night I killed my mom…" The daughter of the Dark One puts down the objects she was holding and wipes her eyes again.

Henry is absolutely stunned by this revelation. He had no idea how much Crystal was truly suffering internally; every day felt like a war inside herself. He would never have guessed the kind of torment she endures by this wicked voice, and evil conscience even; she hid it so well and always came across as loving and happy, making sarcastic jokes and everything. He hurries over and pulls her into another hug. She flinches at first, but then embraces it, feeling the warmth of love inside herself once again.

"I wish I could understand it better," he says sympathetically. "And I wish I could help take this pain away."

"Thank you, Henry," she says smiling, patting his back in appreciation. "And you can help, by standing beside me and telling me that you love me. It… it should help keep me balanced."

"I do love you, like a sister," he says earnestly.

"And I love you like a little brother," she smiles.

Once the two of them break apart, they go back to the task at hand, their time was running out.

Finally, behind a rug stacked on top of a wooden chest, Henry finds a large stack of books, magical books by the looks of them. Some might even be from the Storybrooke library. Crystal uses her vision to rapidly flip through the different spells, looking for one that allowed duplication.

"Bingo!" she says in happiness, after the sixth book she flips through. "Come on, we have to get back up to the surface."

"Let's go to my mom's vault," Henry suggests. "We'll be able to do the magic privately."

"Okay," she says, secretly shoving something in her jacket pockets. She waves her hand and the two disappear in a puff of smoke.

…

"Are you sure this is how we're supposed to do it?' Henry asks nervously.

The two are working in the Mills Family Mausoleum on the upper level, next to Henry Mills Senior's coffin, which would slide out to reveal in inner depths of the Evil Queen's domain, but those underground tunnels were not needed now. It feels extremely creepy to be back in this mausoleum, working frantically amongst the dead.

Henry lays on a concrete slab not far from the coffin, his hands folded across his stomach, laying down as if he were actually dead.

"I've read the instructions over three times, Henry, we have less than ten minutes for a version of you to be at school. Now relax your body and close your eyes and do exactly as I say," she says.

"Okay," he says.

Crystal had conjured up all the necessary materials required to make a clone of Henry. In record time, she put together the potion to go with the spell in a tiny little vial. Henry had plucked a single hair from his head to give to her, and then she conjured up the exact same clothes that he was wearing at this exact moment. She mixes the hair into the potion and it turns a gold colour.

She then pours the vial of potion in a straight line across another slab of concrete in the mausoleum. She then says the spell and uses her magic to make the line of liquid expand outwards and begin to mould into the required shape. It looks like liquid gold as the shiny substance mixed with the magic forms into a shimmering human shape, seemingly suspended in animation in front of her. Crystal then pricks Henry's finger and then adds the drop of blood to the human form.

It takes another moment but then the gold liquid stretches outwards to match Henry's height and then the golden colouring begins to fade and become human skin and peachy in colour. Dark brown hair begins to sprout from the top of the clone's head, his nose and chin form into their proper shape and the arches of his eyebrows are created. Even a few freckles appear on the "twin's" nose, just its original. Crystal can hardly believe her eyes as she watches the actual human clone that she's just created, it's like holding a mirror up in front of Henry. Instead of one brother, she now has two. She quickly dresses the clone with her magic and its eyes remain closed.

Next came the hardest part. Crystal pulls out a memory crystal and then waves her hand over to activate it. She does feel nervous considering she's never done this before, but she has to be confident, otherwise, it won't work.

"Now, I need you to think about any and all things you know about the curse. I'm sure there are a few cursed memories inserted in there as well," Crystal says. "Think about all the useless facts you've learned in school so far and anything else you might not need."

Henry allows his mind to wander, reaching down deep to remember everything that Crystal tells him to. He is hesitant to give up some of these memories, but they won't be needed… right now anyway.

Crystal waves her hand over the teenager's face and a trail of light begins to come from his head. She can hear the whispers of the memories as they flow inside the purple stone, causing it to glow. She stops after a moment or two and then quickly rushes over to the clone. She concentrates, makes a few quick edits to the memories as directed by the book and then she waves her hand over the stone, transferring the memories inside of it.

Almost instantly, the clone of Henry opens his eyes, the irises are the perfect shade of hazel, exactly like Henry's.

"What is your name?" she asks.

"Henry Blackwell," it answers, in the perfect matching tone of voice.

"Where do you live?"

"Stygian, Maine,"

"Where do you need to be right now?"

"School,"

"Then you'd better be on your way," she says with a smile. She conjures up the backpack he needs and then she has the clone stand up. She then waves her hand and the clone disappears in a puff a cloud of smoke and will reappear in front of the Stygian High School.

She then goes over to the real Henry. He looks up at her, a little dazed, but still aware of who she was. She begins asking him the most important questions.

"What's your name?" she asks.

"Henry Daniel Mills."

"How old are you?"

"14."

"Who am I?"

"Crystal Miller."

"Who are your mothers?"

"Emma Swan and Regina Mills."

"Who did your mother just get married to?"

"Killian Jones, or Captain Hook."

"Who are your grandparents?"

"Snow White and Prince Charming."

"What's the name of your young uncle?"

"Neal Nolan."

"Who is he named after?"

"My father, Neal Cassidy."

"Where are we?"

"Stygian, which is actually supposed to be Storybrooke Maine."

"Who are we trying to defeat?"

"The Black Fairy,"

"What were you learning in school right now?"

A blank look appears on his face, but then he smiles.

"Perfect," Crystal says, offering her hand to pull him up. "Now we have to go get your storybook."

"Right, we'll have to walk because you don't know where it is," Henry says.

"Are you sure you know how to get there?" she inquires, just double checking.

"Yes," he says rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but memory spells are extremely dangerous."

"I know, but let's go."

"Okay," he says.

Crystal follows behind Henry as they exit the mausoleum, her hand hovers over her coat pocket. She had also grabbed something from the underground room… just in case they were ever needed. Dark Black leather cuffs.

 _A/N: Hope this plan works, at least for a little bit. Why do you think Crystal has the cuffs?_


	25. Chapter 24: Daughter of the Dark One

Chapter 24: Daughter of the Dark One

Crystal and Henry walk in relative silence through the streets, leaving the familiar quiet and then take some back alleys into the noisy unknown.

"Henry," Crystal says, realizing something important.

"What?"

"You should probably pull up your hood, so no one recognizes you, especially if Fiona or that chauffeur you've talked about are around,"

"You're right," he says, doing so. "Good catch."

"Don't mention it," she says before they come to a chain-link fence that they're going to have to hop over. The flashing lights and revving of engines lay just on the other side. They pause and look at each other.

"I really don't want to go over," she admits with a heavy sigh.

"I know," he agrees. "But just remember that it's the curse. Technically, none of this is real."

"You're right," she nods before finding her footing and scaling the fence. Henry follows not far behind.

"Okay, which way?" she asks.

"We're looking for a hotel called _The Golden Deal_ ,"

The young woman smirks at the name. "I will give the evil fairy credit, she is pretty clever with the names."

"Yeah, _Oz-and-Ends_ trade show is pretty good too," Henry snickers.

The two giggle to themselves at the play on words; a rare smile and laugh shared between them. However, they quickly collect themselves as they step out of the alleyway and are immediately hit by a wave of people going in the opposite direction. They begin having to weave their way around the people who snort or give them dirty looks for going against the flow of people.

"Watch it kid!" some angry pedestrian barks as Henry nearly knocks him over.

"This is…" Crystal says, going around a particularly tall man, trying to keep her brother in sight. "Just keeps becoming more and more like New York the longer we're here."

"Move it!" an anxious woman snaps, having to sidestep around both of them.

"R-Really?" Henry calls, being forced to the far side of the street to avoid being trampled by a group of women in extremely high heels.

"Oh yeah," she says, stumbling as someone's briefcase bumps her off the sidewalk and she almost knocks over someone's motorcycle. She stubs her toe against it and swears under her breath as she goes. "It's like the world's worst obstacle course filled with cranky people in hurry and street trash, but only here, there are more drunk people and more of a chance of being run over…" As she says this, a taxi nearly mows her down as she is forced to go into the street to go around the motorcycle. "By some asshole. The reason I came to Storybrooke is to… avoid all this,"

The two rejoin each other on the corner of one of the streets. The traffic lights change above them, and they wait impatiently for it to change back. Some flashy looking Porsche accelerates into the intersection, barely missing some businessman dragging a suitcase behind him.

"I used to think more people coming into Storybrooke would help business, but now I just want the quiet," she admits. "Almost everyone here is an outsider."

Henry nods and then nudges her. "Technically, we're the outsiders if you think about it."

"Considering where we actually come from and the things we've seen, you're absolutely right," she agrees, as the crossing light allows them to go forward. "If only these idiots knew."

They give each other reluctant smiles as they head down the noisy streets.

"There it is," the teenager points out, his finger extending to the gold coloured lights making up the sign saying _The Golden Deal_. The place has long concrete steps and rotating doors, if it wasn't so generic and typical of the area, it might have been a fancy looking hotel. A doorman stands out front, nodding politely while greeting each guest as they enter. Henry pulls his hoodie tighter over his face, assuming that this doorman was here a lot, he would recognize the son of the mayor and no doubt tell her about it. Fiona Blackwell clearly had eyes everywhere and had people always watching.

However, the plan to sneak inside without being recognized became half their problems as the two cross the busy street and walk past the alley between the Gold hotel and a weird looking artistic bar that had a weird looking curved wire sculpture out front. As soon as they walk past, some thug grabs Crystal from behind and pulls her into the alleyway, she barely has time to scream. She feels herself being forced into the shadows, making her unable to see her attacker.

A smelly hand covers her mouth to prevent her from making any noise as the man drags her deep into the alleyway and attempts to pin her against the wall. She squirms angrily, trying to push this sweaty looking man away from her. He is bigger than here, and his eyes seem cold and unforgiving... it's hard to make out his face due to the shadows in the alley.

"Don't scream," the voice warns. The smell of alcohol on this guy's breath is obvious as he presses her against the wall. "This will be over quick." He leans in, his breath unbearable to inhale and his thick lips open like he's about to kiss her, drool already coming off his mouth as he leans in.

While still afraid, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin has grown up in the streets, she knew how to handle this. Without hesitation, she bites his hand and kicks him in the crotch, causing him to recoil in obvious pain into the opposite brick wall. Able to breathe again, she tries to put her hands on her knees to catch her breath and to gather herself. Certainly not the worst situation she's ever been in, but this does top the pervert who grabbed her butt yesterday.

"Crystal?" Henry's voice calls out from the entrance to the alley. When he notices the attacker, he runs towards her to give her back up.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, let's go," she says, figuring the guy's drunk enough to merely pass out next to the garbage cans or forget what even happened.

The two try to go towards the light when someone grabs the back of Henry's hoodie, pulling him back. The drunk man puts Henry in a chokehold and holds a piece of rusty-looking metal at his face.

"What the hell?!" she barks at him. "Let him go!"

"I'll teach you, bitch, teach you to say no to me,"

Crystal is horrified to see the man is cutting off Henry's air supply, he's struggling to breathe, and the man holds the piece of jagged metal at his face, ready to slice.

The world becomes silent to her, there are no other people in the world, just the three of them. Her vision clouds with the colour red and she can't control the anger flowing through her veins. The sheer power of emotion overwhelms her body and takes control.

She raises her hand and grabs the man by the throat. The man drops his weapon and releases Henry now that his own air supply is significantly limited. The teenager falls to his knees on the pavement and also gasps for air. He immediately begins to crawl away from the man, unable to say anything to Crystal.

The fury is slowing building and building within her as she begins to squeeze harder, grinding her teeth with rage. She uses her powers to force him against the opposite wall of the alleyway. She steps closer, all rational thought was gone, she just wants to put a stop to the man who tried to assault her and nearly killed her surrogate brother. She wants to make him suffer for his perverted and violent ways. An animalistic snarl escapes her lips as she holds him in her magical grasp. The voices in her head are the loudest they've ever been, whispering encouragements and support for her darkened thoughts. She pins him against the wall as an all too familiar voice enters her head.

 _It's good to be back, now make him hurt… rip those slimy lips off his face. He's a lowly piece of scum that doesn't deserve to live…_

The man is now very afraid, perhaps too drunk to fully comprehend what is actually happening. He likely assumes that this is some kind of hallucination caused by the alcohol or some weird trick, but he's floating a few feet off the ground, slowly having the air being squeezed out of him. He begins to gasp as an invisible hand, grabbing helplessly at his throat. He lets a sort of pitiful squeal as tears are squeezed through his now swollen eyes.

"How does it feel to be at the mercy of a heartless bitch?!" she snarls at him, squeezing a bit harder. "To be completely powerless against someone is stronger, smarter, and far superior to you. Does it give you pleasure to pick on the weak?!"

Henry has finally collected himself enough to comprehend the scene. His stomach drops when he realizes what Crystal is doing. He can see the drunkard's face is bright red from lack of oxygen. The former assaulter makes a horrible squeaking sound, too afraid to do or say anything. The daughter of the Dark One then lowers the man so that they are eye to eye.

 _Make him suffer_ , the voice in her head practically cheers. _Make him feel the wrath of true darkness!_

"You don't know the meaning of the word monster," she growls at him.

"Crystal don't!" Henry says, grabbing her arm, trying to force her to release the man. His face is now going a dark purple. But she doesn't seem to hear him, he immediately recoils because her skin is boiling hot, likely due to the anger inside of her mixed with the dark power she posses. He can also see that her blue eyes have taken on a blacker and much darker hue and he's certain that it's not from the lack of light in the alleyway.

Crystal allows the man a little room to breathe, he gasps, sounding like a panting pig.

 _It's amazing to watch the cowards squirm. A victim will show his real personality. I think it's time to make this man heartless…_

"I'll show you what it's like to be a monster," she says. She holds the man in place with one hand and hurtles her hand into his chest.

"NO!" Henry screams, realizing that she's gone too far. He forces himself to grab her arm with both hands and pull her hand from the man's chest.

The drunken victim is blubbering like a baby and looks like he's about to pee his pants in fear.

Henry gets between Crystal and the man, forcing her eyes to meet him. "Crystal doesn't do this!" he says, knowing that her dark side has taken over again, much more than before. "That's not who you are. You're better than this and so much stronger than the dark magic. You're not a bad person! Please, you have to fight it. Crystal, you are a hero… you have a family and friends who love you… listen to me please, it's your little brother talking I love you…"

A surge goes through Crystal's body as the good power begins entering her body again. Her entire being stings, like someone, stabbed her with a boiling red-hot iron poker. Her flesh seems to singe and split, as the two forces of sheer power begin battling inside her for supremacy. She gasps outwards, lowering her hands away from Henry, still in a deep daze. The red and black that had been clouding her vision has faded with the mention of love.

 _Don't listen to him, he doesn't know what power is. He doesn't control you!_

"Shut up!" Crystal says to the voice in her head, but Henry thinks she's talking to him.

"NO! I won't shut up. Crystal, I need you. Emma needs you, Killian, Regina, your dad needs you, baby Neal, Gideon… they love you, Crystal, they need you…"

 _He doesn't control you…_

"No, you do!" she screeches with the realization, her throat burning as she seems to yell at the top of her lungs.

Tears form in her eyes as more light comes back inside. The darkness is not giving up that easily.

 _NO! You will only obey me, he is a weakling, something to be exterminated_

"STAY AWAY FROM HENRY!" Crystal screams as the shockwave of energy blasts outwards.

Practically engulfing the entire city block. Henry is knocked off his feet and lands hard on the pavement. All the blood is rushing around in his head and he can feel blood beginning to exit his nose. His ears pop continuously with the sheer blast of power, but the walls of the alleyway seem to take the brunt of the attack. Several of the bricks receive large cracks in them as the magnitude of the shockwave hits them with a force far greater than the walls can withstand. Car alarms go off wildly, glass shatters, the strange metal sculpture in front of the artistic bar is bent, and people begin screaming in confusion. Chaos is erupting out in the city and frantic feet are coming towards the noise.

Crystal, while still dazed, realizes that they can't be discovered. Her body is shaking violently from the internal war and her knees are within seconds of giving out. They have to get off the streets and deal with the rest after. She assumes that the shockwave was only felt in this part of the city.

"Henry," she says quickly. "Do you live in the penthouse of the building,"

"What?" he says, his ears still trying to adjust.

"The penthouse?" she says loudly.

"Uh yeah…"

Before he can say anything else, the two of them disappear in a puff of smoke, leaving a very stunned and drunk man laying in the alleyway, his ears popping and his own nose bleeding. He falls into unconsciousness just as police and bystanders begin appearing, trying to figure out what happened.

However, unbeknownst to Crystal, her assumption about the power of the shockwave was wrong. Several people spread across the entire city felt the wave. A red-haired prostitute on the corner of a street feels the force through her body, a teacher trying to teach a lesson to a rowdy and uncaring class drops her chalk in shock, a drunk bar owner who temporarily sobers up by the magnitude of the wave. A man shuffling cards at a table in the adjacent hotel feels the ground shake from the immense force, a person trapped beneath in underground ward of the hospital feels the metal walls shake, a blonde mental patient reading quietly to herself, about to take her pills sees her windows rattle, a person being held prisoner down in the caverns beneath the Storybrooke clock tower sees rubble fall from the stone ceiling. Finally, a casino owner is knocked off his feet while walking with his son and a dark-haired woman sitting in her office looks up from her paperwork in confusion of where that blast of powerful magic came from.

 _A/N: Scary stuff, Crystal seems to become more unstable and embracing the darkness more. She nearly removed a heart, which is the one thing she vowed never to do. Try to guess which characters are which that I mentioned at the end of the chapter. Some of them you've met already, and some you haven't. Please review._


	26. Chapter 25: Raw

Chapter 25: Raw

Crystal and Henry materialize at the entrance to the penthouse, both completely shell-shocked by what has happened to them. Crystal is barely able to catch her breath, gasping loudly and Henry is still unable to hear properly because his ears are still ringing and popping from the immense pressure of the seismic wave. Both felt like they'd just gone through a minefield and barely survived a bomb blasting off in front of them, Crystal's magic being the detonation. Neither can really speak or stand in the hall, trying to recover.

Eventually, Henry opens the door and absent-mindedly begins walking towards his room, with the daughter of the Dark One eventually mustering up the courage to follow him. She ignores the fancy and elegant looking décor of the penthouse that was all around her and stumbles up the stairs. Once she enters Henry's room and he locks the door, she collapses to the floor and bursts into tears. Her shaky hands cover her eyes in shame and anger.

Crystal Miller begins to shake erratically, she can feel the darkness still fighting its way through her body and the blast of energy has left her feeling drained. Her ears are ringing like Henry's and she bites her lip hard enough to bleed, trying to hold in the pain. It doesn't last very long… She lets out a primal scream of pain… Anger and pain, in its rawest form. Her soul aches in pure exhaustion too and she just begins to cry loudly, curling up into a ball to protect herself. Her breathing becomes shortened to the point where she's hyperventilating. Every part of her body hurts like a thousand red-hot knives are stabbing every inch of her being, the pain unbearable and she is paralyzed in this agonizing state. At the same time, she feels that she is being pulled apart, her skin stretched until it would be ripped from her body, blood flowing out of her human form. There was a coldness in her mind, unfeeling, like a stone that dragged her further into this pit of evil. The guilt of what she'd done down in the alleyway and the fact that she'd almost taken another life leaves her sobbing without an end, the tears soaking her face and pooling on the hardwood floor where she lay.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry," she shouts to no one in particular.

"It's okay," Henry says, even though he knew it wasn't. Nothing that she'd done was okay. He'd seen the darkest side of Crystal Miller and it terrified him. His mother as the Dark One was a unicorn compared to the inner evil he'd seen within her.

However, she doesn't seem to hear his reassurance and she just keeps repeating:

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Her voice becomes raw and it cracks due to her continuously shouts.

It's then that Henry realizes that she's in shock and is talking fitfully to no one in particular. It's her way of trying to soothe herself, talk herself back to a calmer state.

The author sits on his huge King-sized bed and grabs some tissues from the nightstand. He wipes any leftover blood that might be leaking from his nose and then lays down with his eyes shut, waiting for the ringing in his ears to stop. At this point, Crystal's shouting has decreased to a whisper, something that he could consider calming. His body is also shaking, but not as severely as his companion, who still looks like she's having convulsions in the corner by the door.

There's a long pause after the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin finally goes silent, feeling coming back to her body and the ringing has begun to fade. She still remains in a ball on the floor, still panting awkwardly due to her hyperventilation and crying. She lays in her salty tears, gazing over at Henry.

She can't believe what she's done. She nearly took someone's life, and in the cruellest way possible, by crushing their heart. While the man was definitely no saint, he tried to assault her and cut Henry's throat, he didn't deserve the "Force-choking" that she'd done and nearly extracting his most vital organ. The man must be scared out of his actual mind, which could work in their favour that the police would not believe that she'd attacked him with magic, but… the darkness. Her darkness.

She hadn't felt anger like that since her mother's death; the darkness that took over her body, she was no longer able to think clearly, all that mattered was making people pay. The inner-demon had taken over every inch of her being, she was a puppet to the darkness, carrying out it's bidding. She knows she can't blame it completely on the darkness, she had lashed out at the man, but it was to protect Henry. The wicked and blackened entity within her took that and used it, forcing her to do acts that she would regret... would have… if Henry had not mustered up the courage to stand between her and the man. He could have very well had his heart ripped out inside or been hit by her magic. The thought causes her body to shudder some more, thinking of what could have happened if Henry's love had not been there.

Eventually, she finds the strength to move around. She reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out the black leather cuffs.

 _It's the only way_ , she thinks to herself. _It's the only way to keep it at bay. I can't use my magic as long as The Black Fairy is in control. I'll hurt more people than I will help them…_

The darkness hates this idea and tries to crawl its way back into her body to prevent her from doing this. The feeling of being pulled apart by the magical forces returns, causing her more pain.

She looks up at Henry, who still lays on the bed, his eyes closed. She can see the dribble of blood from his nose on his sweatshirt, put there by her seismic explosion. The colour of his face is gone and he looks like a ghost. No doubt he was as frightened as anyone else, but she can also see some shiny tears leaking from his tightly shut eyes.

She did this to him… it wasn't bad, but it could have been ten times worse if the darkness had gotten its way.

Her fingers trace the leather covering of the cuff and she examines it closely. How easy would it be to just stop the flow of magic? Make her feel normal.

Her eyes wander to something that didn't fill her with regret, they go to the far side of his room and sees the _Once Upon a Time_ book encased behind the glass. She remembers Henry saying that it could not be broken with anything heavy, it was enchanted with magic. Her mind then reminds her of the mansion in the woods that she'd placed a charm on. She wanted that to be their headquarters and place of refuge away from the Black Fairy. If her magic was gone, she wouldn't be able to get to the large house again. Also, without any power, she wouldn't be able to protect Henry or anyone else she loved from the black-hearted demon. Fiona is the real demon, the source of Crystal's own darkness and all evil in the realms. She might not be a real match for the gothic pixie, but she could put up a fight. They had to break this curse, or it might become permanent and there would be no happy endings. It would remain broken, just like the real world. The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin hated the real world and loved the bubble in which Storybrooke existed, anything could happen to them, life was more exciting, and she had family and home, the two things she always wanted. With this curse, the enchanted town would be destroyed.

With a heavy sigh, she shoves the leather cuffs back into her pocket and stands up. She uses the wall for support.

Crystal takes in Henry's fancy room for the first time. The room is ten times bigger than she had thought it had been when they first entered. The king-sized in which Henry lay in had silky blue sheets and an expensive looking wooden headboard that had the teenager's name engraved on it. There are two nightstands on either side of the bed, each had a glass lamp, that is now helping illuminate the room. Above their heads is a large, modern-looking glass chandelier that looked like it cost more to buy than a house. The rug next to her feet was white and looked like it was made of polar bear skin. She secretly wished that she had landed and cried on this rug instead of the hardwood floors. She sees the biggest TV that she could have ever imagined mounted on the back wall of the room. There's a sleek leather couch facing it, as well as several multi-coloured bean bag chairs. Connected to the TV/movie screen is every type of game console one could imagine. Along the wall behind her, next to the door, is a "museum display" of rare comic books and various other collectable superhero memorabilia. There are movie posters mounted on the roof of the room, except for a dome-like structure just above the bed, which had the display of trillions of tiny stars, meant to look like the night sky. There's a bookshelf lined with so many comic books as well as another shelf filled with DVDs and video games. There is a sword in the corner by the case holding the storybook, it is dented and chipped around the edges. Crystal realizes that Henry had tried to break the glass with the weapon. On the far side of the room is a line of tinted windows, making up a wall, that has the shades partially opened. She was sure that she could see the whole city if she got close enough to look.

She would be impressed by the room if it were not have been part of the curse. Any shallow and moody teenager would only dream of having a room like this, but Henry is humbler than that. She stumbles towards the bed, deciding to heal any wounds her brother might have received in the blast. Her hand glows a lilac colour, meaning it was filled with light magic. The only injury she can sense is his ears, which she fixes without much of a problem.

Henry notices that his body feels lighter and more relaxed. It glowed with warmth as if he's just laid out on the grass on a warm spring day or drunk a large mug of hot chocolate. He opens his hazel eyes to meet Crystal's bloodshot blue ones.

She gives him a weak smile.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, her voice slightly hoarse from the screaming.

"It's okay," he nods. He reaches out to grab her hand.

She wants to argue that none of this is okay, but she just bites her lip and sighs heavily.

"Let's go free that book."

 _A/N: An intense but also a quiet chapter at the same time. Special thanks again to Sammii16 for their review._


	27. Elsewhere: Chapter 26: On the Streets

Elsewhere Series: Part 1

Chapter 26: On The Streets

 _A/N: This next series of chapters will give us some perspective on what the Dark Curse has done to the other characters. I'm calling it the Elsewhere series. Here is part one where we see Zelena's life in such a hard place and her at rock-bottom. Warning, there are mature themes in this chapter and also the implication of how streetwalkers are viewed by a lot of people. The implications do not necessarily reflect my own personal views and it horrifies me that women, especially Indigenous woman are not being cared for and helped so that they can leave these types of lives OR not being found by police when they go missing._

"That's $250," she says, sitting in the car next to a man she barely knows. They sit in a car parked along one of the shadier sides of the Stygian city. The woman slips her heels back on and puts her coat over an emerald nightgown, which was in serious need of a wash. She pulls out a small hand-purse, ready to pocket the money.

"What?" the man in the driver's seat gasps. His nostrils flare in anger as the woman announced the price of her services. He's a man in his late-forties, covered in glitter "That's Bull****! You said your fare was $200 for two hours."

"Dancing is extra," the redhead says, knowing that this wasn't going to end well. "Plus, I had to bring the protection."

"I'm not paying that much!" the man snarls, pounding his hand on the dashboard. The woman can see the anger in his eyes, she flinches slightly when his fist makes contact with the car... having experienced similar harsh treatment for her fares in the past, but at least with this one, the car is taking the abuse. "You weren't even that good."

Zelena sighs heavily, knowing what she must do next. She whips out a cigarette and looks at the man. She removes a lighter from her overcoat.

"Can you open the window?" she asks, with the roll of tobacco between her teeth.

While still infuriated at the woman's price, he nods, rolling down the passenger side window for her to smoke. She dangles her hand out the window, letting out two puffs of smoke. She then taps the side of the car five times and then flicks the cigarette onto the filthy sidewalk. She then turns to the man again.

"I'm sure we can work something out," she says coolly, trying to sound reassuring. Her blue eyes then follow a figure that is approaching from the street.

Just then she clicks the unlock button on the door and a large man opens the driver's side door and forcibly removes the man from his seat. He forces the man against the side of his car with such force that the vehicle rocks slightly. Zelena gets out from the opposite door and waits on the curb as the enforcer deals with an angry customer. She folds her arms and winces slightly at the increased volume of the thug's voice before turning away as the imposing figure throws a punch into the man's gut.

 _ **Why is this her life?** _There had to be something even slightly better than this. Exploiting herself to men daily, trying to protect her body from being harmed, being made to her feel like she's just a piece of meat or a doll to be dressed up and paraded around for the show. Even stripping in a club is better than this, but... she's desperate. She has no other way to earn a living in this crappy city, and without money, she can't afford the fight social services for custody of her daughter.

She goes to the lamp post and watches as the man she'd just been with drives away, the brute comes to the post with a wad full of cash. The redhead lets out a sigh of relief that one punch is all it took to persuade the man to pay; sometimes it took a lot more.

"50," he says, handing her the bills.

"WHAT?!" she barks, crinkling the cash in her hand "That's bull***, I earned 200 on that job at least! I work the cheapest out of all the girls because I'm the newest one and I had to help the pervert out because he had no clue what he was doing. He made me dance to 70's music, in go-go boots just to make him happy! My feet have quarter-sized blisters. He's the worst one I've had in the past month, and I earned those two hours"

"You know what Bo$$ does when he has to send me over..." the thickly muscled bruiser says, glaring at the angry streetwalker. "That costs you 50 bucks per time he's sent me to bail you out, that's twice today, and the boss gets half of what you make."

"That's completely unfair!" Zelena squeaks, her voice cracking and tears coming to her eyes. She has a deep urge to hit him across the face, but she knows that it would do nothing. He was a muscle-head, thick enough to plow through a wall if he so desired. She'd probably break her hand against his iron-clad jaw.

Yet, she feels like she was once powerful to take down anyone who annoyed her; she could crush them like fleas whenever she had a mission. To watch them squirm gave her pleasure, no one could stand in the way of what she wanted.

At least that's how she once felt. That was then, and this is now. She can barely remember that time of superiority. For as long as she can remember, she's been nothing but a worthless weakling, forced to walk the streets to survive, subjected to terrible conditions, treated like an object by perverted people, exploited for her looks, and left in the dust and shadows while all the other people of Stygian were living better lives than she was. It made her sick with sadness, not even her own mother had wanted to keep her and now, her daughter was going to grow up thinking the same thing unless she became organized and proved that she was a good mother.

"Welcome to "the business" RoZella," the thug says, using her street-name, which was a horrible nickname. "Such is life in the streets."

"How am I supposed to make a good living and get my daughter back if I can't even afford rent or food?!" she cries.

"Get better at your job," the man shrugs, before walking away with the cash. "Or would you rather talk to Bo$$ about it? Have you ever heard the girls talk about Sparkle Dust before?"

"No."

"Exactly," he says with a grin before walking to the end of the street and into headquarters, leaving Zelena in tears on the curb. Completely distraught, she shoves the money into her hand-purse and just stares at the dirt on the road. Why was her life so awful? Why was she treated like this? Wasn't there anyone out there who is willing to help a mother who desired her child back? It was like a huge cloud of blackness just hung over her all the time. She was the one who walked in the dark, left abandoned on the side of the road. She looks at her watch and then reaches into her pocket, pulling out the photo of her baby girl.

Little Robin... why did she pick out that name for her little green bean? Was it because she was born in the spring? If it ever was spring in this god-forsaken town, it was hard to tell. Or was she named after a friend named Robin? All the details are fuzzy in her head and Zelena wishes desperately that she could remember why. It embarrassed her even more that she didn't know who the father was, but given her line of work, she assumed that it was one of her clients. (This is also why she ensures that she always has protection, in case he forgot). Plus, she knew no one would believe her if she ever did track him down and asked for child support. Streetwalkers don't get much of anything, they are at the bottom of the city life food chain.

There's a heaviness in her heart, a large gaping hole in her chest because her daughter was taken from her. A nosy neighbour from her apartment complex always saw the redhead coming and going in scantily-clad clothing and had called child protective services. It was hard for Zelena to deny what she did for a living, but she always left Robin at home, away from everything to protect her little girl and in the care of a sitter, since she had no family that she knew of. Paying the sitter took up half of her money and she was always behind on rent payments too. It was the worst day of her life when the police had to forcibly remove the young child from her mother's arms. She felt torn in two and merely collapsed on the floor and cried for hours, feeling no hope of any kind. After the pain the neighbour caused, Zelena just wanted to grab some gasoline and a match and make the woman pay and feel the pain she felt. It burned her insides and made her wish she was dead.

After this, she'd tried to get off the streets and find a better job, but no one would take her, not even for waitressing and now... she spends day and night trying to make money, get her life on track, and finally see her little girl again. She knows she must hurry, otherwise Robin might be adopted into a family that can better support her.

"I promise I will bring you home darling... my little green bean," she whispers, giving a kiss to the photograph and then pocketing it again.

She stands up and goes to the nearest reflective surface, a window that is so dirty, it may as well be a mirror. The distressed redhead uses the sleeve of her coat to wipe away any smears that her tears may have caused to her makeup.

Suddenly, a loud noise enters her ears and a wave of something... it wasn't really energy, but a tremor passes through her body. It shakes everything within her radius and it rattles the glass so much that Zelena swears the glass is going to crack or shatter. Her ears pop loudly and she is nearly knocked off her feet. She looks around in confusion. Was that an earthquake? A tremor of a shifting tectonic plate? It was strange because she's never felt the ground move like this before. It was so very strange and suddenly she's struck by a wave of dizziness. Thoughts begin to rush through her head... images... feelings, she sees herself in black clothing, complete with a hat. holding a ball of flames in her open hand. For a second, her hand becomes very warm, as if her veins were on fire from this power.

Suddenly, pictures and feeling enter her mind. She sees a basket being swept away by a dangerous wind, being isolated and feared because of her powers, spending time with a girl, giving each other makeovers, disposing of a man whom she thought he could help her, taking over a green city, watching her skin turn green, nearly being attacked by a lion, watching an old turn to metal, and then unleashing misery upon a small kingdom. More images enter her mind where she prepares to enact her revenge, make a change in her life, stealing a new baby to help this change, being defeated, a man reaching into her chest and then leaving in blackness for a time before striking down another woman and taking her place. Feeling unbelievably cold for a long time, glee at watching a man suffer and horror as she's swept up in some kind of green wind. The smile she had on her face as she held the little one for the first time, the love she felt for a man who's hair colour matched her own, but could also turn blue with a simple change, the sadness felt having to hurt this man and then standing next to a woman with dark hair who seemed familiar to her. The two hold umbrellas as they stare at a casket... Was this the redhaired man that she felt love towards? Was he the father of her child? She then remembers a pink crystal heart and feeling energy being drained from her body.

The frightened woman looks into the dirty glass and steps back in horror. Her reflection seems the same except her skin is green. It's a horrible colour on her and she lets out a shriek of fright, pressing down so hard on the sidewalk that one of her heels breaks. This causes her to lose her balance and ends up backing up into the lamp post.

Wincing in pain, Zelena grabs the post to steady herself. She looks down at her feet to examine the damage to her pump. She curses under her breath as now she had to go to headquarters and find a new pair. She takes a deep breath and steadies herself. She goes back to the window and to her relief her skin is normal. She drags her hand along the side of her face and near the nape of her neck, examining for any signs of this green colouring, but it's not there. She's wearing her usual clothing, not the black and rather flattering clothes she'd seen in her memory... no vision. It was a vision, or rather a hallucination brought on by sadness and dehydration. She should probably also get some water while she's at headquarters to help with that.

She reapplies some strong red lipstick and then heads down the street to the hub of her shame, knowing what awaits her inside. She then plans to take one of the back alleyways to go towards the busier parts of the city, trying to find a corner to stand on and find someone who is more willing to pay full price for her services.


	28. Chapter 27: Hidden and Forgotten

Elsewhere Part 2

Chapter 27: Hidden and Forgotten

The sounds of cell doors slamming around her rattles every part of her being. She pulls her knees up to her chest and places her hands over her ears. She bites her lip, trying not to cry as another loud thud echoes against the thick steel door of her cell… her protector from the outside world.

 _The outside world is dangerous…_ a voice echoes in the woman's head. _You must know who you are, otherwise, bad people will take advantage of you._

Those were the words she is living by… Words that are meant to protect her. The thick concrete walls kept the sounds of the city from reaching her, lest it triggers more anxiety. They could also not be broken, no one could smash their way in to hurt her and even earthquakes could

Another bang against her door, she knows who is doing this. She refers to the person as **_HIM;_** he likes to taunt her whenever he can, banging a thick heavy club against the steel door, laughing to himself as he torments her. He's the man who is in charge of her cell block and has to keep everyone in line. The reason that she calls this person HIM is because she never learned his name and barely ever sees his face. She only hears his voice, deep and gravelly announcing when food was coming, when it was time to wake up and go to bed, and just to outright insult her or the others who were down here with her.

The frail woman presses her hands against her ears, whimpering and wishing that HIM would stop. Why does he do this to her? She hasn't done anything bad and yet this is part of her punishment. She's always followed the rules, never done anything to hurt him or anyone else, and yet the banging continues.

"Having fun in there?!" he asks, his booming voice coming through the slot in the metal door.

" _Please stop_ …" she whispers, begging internally. " _please_ …"

Tears start to form in her sad blue eyes and the woman tries to use her dark brown hair with a red tint in it to help mask the sound. She presses herself against the back wall and quickly places a pillow over her head and shuts her eyes. Every fibre of her body is shaking… she's afraid of bad people like HIM, therefore she's here to be protected.

Her breathing becomes shallow and quicker, her chest tightening. This often happened to her even when HIM wasn't scaring her and she doesn't understand why it won't stop. Her lungs don't work right. Tears are squeezed from her eyes as the banging continues, it feels as if it shakes the entire cell.

It's a long time before the loud rancorous sounds stop and all that can be heard is her own rushed breathing and the sniffles from her sobs. Her bed creaks as her body shakes uncontrollably. It's happened again. She's trapped in a corner of fear and is unable to escape.

Suddenly, a strong wave of energy shakes her cell. The metal table beside her bed rattles intensely with her empty glass on it. Her bed creaks and moans and even the door lets out a shudder from this strange of energy.

"What the hell was that?" HIM asks loudly from the other side of the door.

She merely lets out a tiny squeak and feels her body seize up. What the hell was that?

Fiona, the only other woman she had contact with the outside world had told her that this cell could survive any disaster, even an earthquake and it could still protect her from the dangers outside. Then why did it feel so powerful… What had happened to cause the room to shake?

For a moment, the panic leaves her body and the patient feels temporary relief from the anxiety. Images flash through her mind… memories? Reading by a fireplace, hiding from a monster with her mother, encountering a flaming beast whom she saves by dousing it in water. Her being held as a prisoner in what looks like a dungeon, a chipped teacup, and similar dark prison which she felt as though she'd been living in for eternity. Opening a place filled with books, standing beside a well saying vows of love and then dancing in a lovely yellow dress with an older man. His smile is gentle, comforting, and his deep brown eyes warm as he holds her quietly as they sway to the melody. Her holding a weapon, forcing this gentleman to disappear, her screaming in pain and then holding a baby in her arms. A beautiful little boy whose delicate features causes her to cry in joy and the heartbreak she feels when gives the baby… her son, to another woman.

She gasps loudly as these memories suddenly fade, but she wants them back. They must be memories, memories of who she was before the accident. She needs to hold on to them… she needs them, she might be able to finally be free.

The thought of freedom scares her… here she is safe from the bad people out there and the disasters that plague the world, but seeing the eyes of the gentle man, eyes that matched those of her son's… she knew it must be her family.

Something new courses through her veins, a feeling she's never had before… She's finding the strength within her body, a burning feeling in her stomach, forcing her to suck in all her fears and push them down low. She had a lead of who she was and she had to follow it.

The patient forces herself out of bed and goes towards the steel door, knowing that she had to ask.

"Please, let me out!" she cries. "I remembered something."

"Yeah right," HIM scoffs, figuring the looney bird was just making things up to get out. Although, this is the first time she's ever asked to be let out.

"No… I do remember something… a man and a boy… they-they must be my family… I was loved by someone and now they're missing me!"

HIM swallows hard. He had been told of what to do if any of the prisoners down here claimed they remembered something. He had to call Fiona and try to scare them back into submission until the boss arrived. He texts the mayor to tell her what's happening and then bashes the metal door with the club.

The patient recoils at the loud sound, knowing how much she hates it… he was a bad person, but she had to find these people… her son… She sucks in a deep breath and hits the door back, making a loud noise, except it doesn't scare her.

"Please… tell Fiona I have to get out, someone is looking for me!"

"Shut up!" he barks, hitting the door again.

But she hits back, pounding more and more, not caring about whether her hand hurts or not.

"Let me out!" she shouts. "Let me out!"

She keeps yelling it and banging against the door, no longer afraid of the outside world.

…

Eventually, a new voice comes from the other side of the door. It was another one she was familiar with.

"Jane… do you mind if you stop the banging?"

Jane Doe was merely the name she was called since no one knew her real identity and now that there is something more, she knew this wasn't her name, never was.

Slowly, she backs away and Fiona enters the room, dressed in a feminine business suit and carrying a black leather purse on her shoulder. She smiles sweetly at the patient.

"Why don't we sit down, and you can tell me what's troubling you?" the dark-haired woman suggests.

However, inside Fiona is extremely concerned. She never expected her daughter-in-law to ever remember something. She'd scared the meek bookworm into complete submission, much like the Saviour; she made the girl fear the outside world and make her believe that she wanted to stay there. This way she wasn't technically a prisoner if she never wanted to leave and the Black Fairy wouldn't have to worry about resistance like she was getting from Henry. Rumple's love and Gideon's real mother had no identity, much like what Regina had done during the first curse. Another identity would not be sufficient, as long as she was kept hidden, it would never be a problem.

Until now.

"Look at you darling, you're shaking like a leaf. Would you like me to get you a glass of water?"

"No, I would like you to let me go," the frail woman demands.

Fiona pretends to be shocked. "But Jane, whatever for?"

She wants to open her mouth to explain that the strange wave that shook everything had brought back a wave of memories, but deep inside, something told her not to share that with this woman who was now keeping her prisoner.

"I…I accidentally hit my head and it brought back something…"

"And what was it?" Fiona asks, trying to keep her composure but inside she's wondering if Gideon's mother is somehow regaining her memories.

"Images…" the patient says, she sits on the edge of her bed, trying to save her strength. "And feelings."

"Would you like to tell me about them?"

She bites her lip tightly, unsure if she wants to trust Fiona any further, she should just run, while she had the chance. But… HIM was no doubt listening and would catch her and hurt her. Her heart pounds against her chest as she swallows the lump in her throat.

"It's… not a lot, but I remember feeling sad for a long time… a woman, who I think was my mother and then a man…"

 _Uh oh!_ Fiona thinks to herself.

"What about this man?"

"He seemed mean and cruel at one time, but then… he became gentle. We seemed to have happy and sad times… it's all mixed together. I think I was happy and sad when I was with him. It was painful. His eyes are what I remember, they were older but soft like he really cared about me. And then there was a boy…"

 _Oh no!_

"A baby. I felt pain as I gave birth to him, but his eyes… were like the man's eyes… I think…"

"Yes dear…"

"I think the baby was ours…"

"Jane…" Fiona says, trying to remain collected. "Are you sure they are memories? Remember, you've had amnesia for a long time and not even I know where you came from. You were found unconscious on the side of the road outside the city don't forget. No identification, nothing to tell us who you were. That's why we call you Jane, it's what we call all people with no names. And you were afraid of everything… no matter what we tried to do, you screamed and made quite a fuss. You would see things and almost cause yourself to pass out from exhaustion and fear. Eventually, enclosed space like this was made to help you… make you feel at home again…"

 _This can't be home_ , the patient thinks to herself. _There has to be a reason that these images came back. They mean something important. She can't be afraid._

"And now, after almost 14 years of being here, these images suddenly come back to you. That seems rather far fetched don't you think?"

"Stranger things have happened," the woman says firmly. She knows what Fiona is about to say and she must deny it.

"But sadly, I don't think that's what's happening with you…"

There's a long pause between the two women before "Jane" sucks in a deep breath.

"I don't believe you…"

"What?" the Black Fairy says, her voice becoming stronger.

"I don't believe anything that you've said. I am somebody. My name is not Jane and I have people out there who love me… I can't be kept in here! I won't be a prisoner anymore.!" she begins to yell, standing up and becoming angrier. "I have an identity and the only way I'm going to find it is if…!"

Fiona waves her hand and the patient falls unconscious on the bed, her eyes shut tightly as her head falls back onto the pillow. The wicked fairy stands up and looks down with concern at her son's true love. She felts something deep inside, but it was not remorse for separating the two. She is a bad influence on him; love is weakness and this woman has held back her son for so long, and there is no way her lovey-dovey ways are going to impact her grandson either. She was a liability to the curse and so she must remain here.

The Black Fairy conjures up a memory stone and waves it over, allowing the magic to remove these memories she had. It could not happen, there was no way this curse was going to be broken. Once the memories are safely within the stone, the black-hearted woman crushes the stone and lets the dust fall to the floor of the cell. She feels nothing for destroying the patient's former identity. She is Jane Doe and that is all she will ever be. She leaves the cell without a second thought to what she'd done.

However, she was inexperienced with memory stones and did not realize how powerful these images were. Fiona Blackwell was too proud to notice what she'd done wrong. All she cared about was keeping power over everything. Just like everyone else, Belle French is completely under her tyrannical control.

 _A/N: Special thanks to Samii once again. Please review._


	29. Elsewhere: Chapter 28: Snow as Ice

Elsewhere Part 3

Chapter 28: Snow as Ice

 _A/N: Warning mature subject matter incorporated into the chapter_

"Can anyone tell me the answer?" Miss Blanchard asks her students as she stands in front of her class at _Stygian Elementary School_. She's trying to teach them a lesson on ecosystems, particularly different types of birds and where they build their nests.

However, like every day she gets no eager answers or even any attempts to respond. Most of her students are falling asleep, texting on their phones, or even just doodling in their notebooks. No one wants to answer and why would they want to; no child had a legitimate future outside of the city anyways. Many of the children would merely end up working in fast-food restaurants, casinos, or unfortunately even just living on the streets. All skills that they would not learn from sitting in a classroom. Even children as young as Grade One knew there was no point in trying to learn because the knowledge would get them nowhere, despite how fun Miss Blanchard tried to make it for them. The only reason they even showed up to school was that it is required by law and the parents needed someplace to dump their children to work their many jobs to stay afloat in this unpredictable economy. And unfortunately, due to budget cuts and two teachers being under investigation for drug abuse, Mary Margret Blanchard is stuck with a Fourth, Second, and Eighth Grade classes to teach. It was almost like working in the one-room schoolhouse of the past, trying to educate multiple levels of students, but what seemed to be the point when it wasn't worth trying.

One fourth grade girl lazily blows a bubble with her gum, despite the teacher's "no gum policy," a couple of eighth grade boys are throwing wads of paper and old cafeteria food at each other, and a few second graders have their heads down on the desks, not even trying to hide the fact that they were tired.

"Well…" the teacher sighs. "If you must know bluebirds face competition with invading sparrows and starlings for nesting spaces, often leaving these poor creatures without homes…"

"And that's why you built the birdhouses, we know that already," one eighth grade girl calls out rudely, visibly rolling her eyes.

Mary Margret opens her mouth to scold the teenager, but then the bell rings. The students frantically gather their books and belongings before going out for recess.

"Now I want you all to bring in your science textbooks when you come back in!" she shouts frantically as the children hurry out of the room without a second glance at their teacher.

Once all of them are gone, Mary Margret collapses into her desk chair, completely and utterly exhausted and that was only the first period of the day.

She runs her hands through her short, raven-coloured hair, which amazes her that it hasn't turned gray with stress, biting her lip, and trying to fight back the tears. Her body cannot take much more of this. Working curriculums for three separate classes, plus running the school science fair and her night job since this one can't pay the bills. It didn't help that her classroom was very badly run down and disorganized; desks that were safety hazards and a risk of falling apart, pieces of wood being used on a broken window to keep the cold from entering, filthy floors which likely had rats scurrying along them, chairs that were either too small or big for the various students, and all of them being squished into the tiny room without much space to do anything. She wonders how she's been able to carry on this long in such a toxic environment. If the world wasn't so cruel, she'd be at home with her son, on maternity leave and not having all this excess dumped on her because she wouldn't say no… or couldn't. It felt as though she had some sort of wicked spell cast over her, being unable to stand up for herself, being pushed around by the other teachers and especially the mayor, who would like Mary Margret to help with secretarial duties at the office as well.

The pale teacher wipes away her tears, then slowly reaches into her desk and pulls out her medication. Something that helps with her anxiety and another that keeps her focused. She swallows the Adderall and Xanax with a swish of her tea… which should have been coffee to keep herself awake. She then goes to work on grading a few papers, but her handshakes because of the mixture of pills. It was a new concoction she'd been forced to take after a recommendation by the principal and Fiona Blackwell after seeing the teacher nearly collapse in the staff parking lot. Fiona had been in the school to discuss budgets with the principal when they both saw the poor woman fall with supplies in her hands and watched her breakdown in stressed tears at their feet. They had her sent to the hospital immediately and the doctor gave her two kinds of drugs, one to calm her and one to keep her focused. However, this toxic mixture was merely doing wear and tear on her already fragile body and she is losing weight, which wouldn't be a bad thing at her night job.

Eventually, the bell rings, bringing the students back inside. Mary Margret stands, leaning against the desk, watching as only a handful of children actually listened to her request to bring in their science textbooks. Sighing heavily, she goes to her supply closet and brings out the extra science volumes.

"Some of you will have to share," she dryly, dropping them on desks and then shifting past a pile of books since she had no bookshelf to get to the chalkboard and begin writing down the science lesson as what she'd been talking about with birds was supposed to be a review and then move on to the next section. Of course, the laziness of her students dragged this out and she was forced to watch their tired, uninterested eyes stare up at her without emotion or interest.

She goes to the chalkboard and begins to write down key points from the text. She's in the middle of a single word when the floor beneath her feet shakes frantically. Desks and chairs move significant distances across space, papers go flying from the teacher's desk, books fall to the floor, debris from the ceiling sprinkles down on the class, and a few rats go scurrying for cover. A blast of energy enters Mary Margret's body causing her to drop the chalk and nearly collapse right in front of her class.

Suddenly, the depression and haze of medications are gone, and her mind feels almost relaxed, releasing an almost permanent knot in her stomach. Images begin to flash in her mind; the strangest pictures that make little sense. Mary Margret having a beautiful tiara placed on her head by a gentle-looking woman, weeping next to the sight of a woman dressed in extravagant clothing, her face pale with death; her nearly being thrown from a horse, but then being saved by a brave and heroic woman. Suddenly, the image of this kind woman becomes dark and malicious, mourning the loss of an older man, many days spent in the forest, her face on wanted posters, running away from men dressed in black, being tackled by an unknown, handsome man and hitting him with a rock. Her being hoisted up in a net and being forced to talk to her captor, trying on a diamond ring that she'd stolen, spending time in hiding with seven unusually short men, a time when everything was a blank due to how hurt she was. Her being forced to eat an apple and falling into darkness, only to be awakened by the man's handsome face. The two hand-in-hand in a beautiful church, dressed in fancy clothing, only for the wicked woman to interrupt their bliss and swear revenge. A great many battles, holding an oddly shaped boulder that hatched and revealed a human hand, visiting a man who looked like a snake, and the unimaginable pain she went through to deliver a beautiful baby. Unfortunately, as quickly as the little girl was brought into her arms, she was taken away, leaving Mary Margret with unimaginable heartbreak and holding the man she loved as dark clouds consumed them.

The teacher pants heavily as the images continue to flow through her mind; being put in jail, jumping through a portal to save a blonde woman, using a candle over someone's heart, crushing another heart to bring the dark clouds back and giving birth to another baby before that one was taken too. Watching the blonde woman be swept up in darkness and then fighting the same malicious woman to save the town she loved, at the cost of being separated from her true love.

As quickly as it had come, the images are gone, and the haze of depression and anxiety returns, hitting her fragile body like a ton of bricks. Mary Margret grabs the ledge of the chalkboard, trying to gather her thoughts. She's leaning on it so intensely, she would likely break it off. Her head felt like it was spinning, and her stomach turned many times to the point where she wants to vomit. Her eyes can't focus properly, and she can feel tears burning in her eyes as emotions sweep over her body like a wave on the seashore. These images meant something, they are very familiar and while not all of the pictures were happy ones, they still felt important.

"Miss Blanchard are you okay?" a voice of concern asks.

The teacher looks out at her class, her hazel eyes surveying all the distressed-looking faces. Several of the younger students look frightened by this strange occurrence and only one of the teenagers is willing to show worry for their teacher.

"I'm… fine, just… a little light-headed," she lies, still trying to fight the tears threatening to fill her eyes.

"What was that?' one of the eighth-graders asked.

"I…I don't know, but the logical explanation is that is was an earthquake," the teacher says, trying to think rationally even though the past few minutes have been anything but logical.

"Earthquakes in Maine?" a fourth-grade boy says skeptically.

"Stranger things have happened... now, where were we?"

Despite how dizzy and shaken she feels, Mary Margret must push forward and teach her students, considering it was part of her job.

…

The bell rings, signalling the end of class for the day. "I want all of you to read a chapter from your individually chosen book and write down ideas of what you know about the migration of birds and mammals!" she calls out as all the children exit without even a goodbye to their teacher.

Miss Blanchard shuts the door to her classroom and locks it. She then sits down at her desk again and tries to process what had happened in the morning. It was the most bizarre thing she'd ever encountered; it had brought on hallucinations, but they weren't scary, and they almost felt familiar, despite the fantastical elements woven into them. It was like they told a story, a story that involved a handsome man and two babies…

 _Speaking of babies…_ she thinks to herself.

With shaking fingers, the teacher dials a number she was very familiar with. She waits several moments until someone picks up.

"Hello?"

"Hello there, this is Mary Margret Blanchard and I was wondering if my son Neal has had progress in being adopted?"

The voice on the other end sounds annoyed. The sounds of children can be heard in the background, many of them crying. The noise breaks the teacher's heart and she prays that her son is not one of those sad little children.

She's already crying because of how much she missed her little boy, despite how little time she had spent with him. She remembers being in labour for so many hours, alone on a gurney in the hospital hallway with nobody paying attention to her. It finally took her screams of agony of being almost 10 centimetres dilated and being ready to give birth that someone finally went to get a doctor and she prayed for an epidural (which was not possible at this late stage). She can remember hearing his screams for the first time and holding him wrapped in a blanket; little did she realize the most agonizing truth, even more, painful than giving birth, she would have to give him up for adoption. There just wasn't any way she could keep him, despite how hard she fought. She moved to a building that accepted tenant's children, she tried saving all her money, almost going hungry some nights to pay for baby supplies and looking for ways to go on maternity leave at her night job. However, in the end, it was all in vain, Mary Margret knew that the only way her little prince was ever going to have the best chance in life was for her to give him up. She spent the entire night crying while holding him; it was only after she'd fallen asleep from pure exhaustion did the state remove Neal Blanchard from his mother's custody.

The teacher knew where her son was being cared for and she'd call as often as she could to ensure he was okay and asked for any progress on possible adoptions into families. She had been told that babies are often the easiest to get adopted, but sadly for the past few months, no one wanted to welcome little Neal into their family because his mother couldn't.

"I'm sorry to tell you Miss Blanchard, but there have not been any interested parents."

"But you said babies are easiest to adopt out?!" she says, doing very little to hide the sadness in her voice.

"They are but these are hard times and most people can't afford another mouth to feed. We give them to whoever can afford it."

"But you know they're from good homes, right? You check?"

"This is a closed matter, Miss Blanchard, it's the agency's job to screen clients and unfortunately you do not have legal right to decide to his legal guardians."

The comment was a stab in the gut for the wounded mother.

"But…"

"I think it is best that you stop calling here Miss Blanchard, as a closed adoption, you do not and can not have any say legally over his well-being."

"But I…"

"I'm sorry, I have another call coming through. Take care of yourself, Miss."

Then the line goes dead.

The mother bursts into uncontrollable sobs, burying her face in her desk. Her heart feels like it's being stomped into a million pieces and her entire body aches with unimaginable pain. The pain of being helpless to even care for your own child or ensure his safety and acceptance to a good home. She couldn't care for him, her life was such a mess that he'd surely be in a worse place with her than what he has now. At least he's being fed and given the proper attention to grow. However, this doesn't lessen the pain at all and leaves the teacher to cry in the dim, cold room.

…

Eventually, after looking at the time, Mary Margret stands up from her chair and gathers her things. She needs to get to her night job or her boss will throw a fit. She hurries out to her car and drives towards the downtown area. She parks in a back alley and goes through the back door of the establishment.

She rushes to get ready, nearly putting her short skirt on backwards. She then goes to the makeup table, smears blue eyeshadow over her lids, puts on blue lipstick and fills her hair with glitter. She then wraps herself in a white shawl and goes to join the rest of the dancers as the emcee introduces each of the girls.

"And don't give the cold shoulder to our next lady. She's as cold as ice, but you can warm her up if you give her the chance, please welcome Icey to the stage."

Mary Margret sucks in a very deep breath and goes out to begin her routine and shame herself to the cold, cruel world she's been born into.


	30. Elsewhere: Chapter 29: Not Charmed

Elsewhere Part 4

Chapter 29: Not Charmed

 _A/N: Just so the readers know, I don't hate Kathryn at all, I've just made her become severely affected by the curse to be considered abusive. Her terrible behaviour is also based on stress and depression, which I'm sure everyone can agree that these things can change a person significantly. This is not who she is and the curse has taken all hope and this is how she's been cursed._

David Nolan moans as his alarm begins buzzing on his phone. He frantically tries to turn it off, so it won't disturb his wife sleeping next to him. He knows how much she hated to be woken up early, especially after she'd finished her night shift at the hospital. He sits up in bed and slowly swings his legs out in order not to disturb her slumber. He then shifts along the floor, knowing where to avoid the squeaky floorboard in their tiny home.

The place that he and Kathryn lived was hardly ideal. The place was extremely old and was in constant need of repairs. The roof leaked in the bathroom, the floorboards were rotting away, the cellar constantly flooded because of the rain, and the overall structure of the house was nearing collapse with the first snowflake. David worked day and night to keep the place standing, which was on top of his long and demanding job. His wife insists that they move to a better place, but they both know that they couldn't afford it. It was never their "dream" home, especially for a married couple and their loyal companion.

A familiar face greets him at the door. His dog, Wilby had been lying in the hallway, likely protecting his master, and when he sees David, the pooch is immediately up with his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging in excitement. He lets out a small woof to let everyone know that he was awake too.

"Shh!" David hisses sharply to his companion. "You'll wake up Kathryn." He pauses and listens. He hears her groan and roll over, but not stirring any further. He shuts the door to allow her to sleep.

The dog obeys the order and remains quiet, his paws padding down the hall as he follows his master to the kitchen where David begins preparing breakfast for himself and his wife. The stove isn't working when he turns the dials on, so he must smack the stovetop a few times before the pilot light comes on. He grabs what he thinks is a clean frying pan from the pile of dishes in the sink. Neither partner ever seemed to find the time to do anything. There was a pile of week-old laundry in the corner of the room, still waiting to be taken to the laundry mat. He begins frying some bacon in the pan, offering a few slices to Wilby. He makes enough for himself since Kathryn is a vegetarian and then brings out a skillet for some eggs. He also makes a pot of coffee but knows it will be ice cold by the time his wife gets up. As the kitchen fills with the smell of frying meat and toasted eggs, Wilby begins pawing at the back door and whimpering. David goes and opens the door for the dog to run outside into their tiny yard.

He leans on the back door with his cup of coffee, watching his dog run around and sniff various places. Part of him wishes that his dog had a bigger yard to run around in and that he and his wife could actually take him for nice long walks around the city. Unfortunately, Stygian was notorious for drivers, whether drunk, or high, or both, trying to mow down pedestrians or trying to run over dogs. More often than not, when he did walk Wilby, the pair might come upon someone's dog or a stray cat who wasn't fast enough to get out of the way. Some even still had their leashes on it. When he had the time, David would come back with a tarp and a shovel, taking the poor animal to the edge of town and giving it a proper burial. However, despite everything that could be considered dismal and depressing about their lives, Wilby would still always wag his tail in happiness. The man begins to envy his dog; not having a care in the world and somehow remaining positive, even in the most unfortunate situations. No bills to pay, no job to do, no marriage to try and fix…

David sighs very heavily thinking about his marriage. He hated to think about this, but it was always becoming more and more evident with each passing day. He stares down at his wedding ring and tries to think back to when he'd actually married Kathryn… the only trouble is, he can't remember it. It should have been the happiest day of his life, and yet, it's lost in the foggy gray haze that is his memory. Something just didn't feel right between them. It was if they were merely thrown together and did not actually relate or even… love each other. They were two completely different people with differing viewpoints that caused tension in their marriage. For example; Kathryn wanted to move into the city, while David wanted to get away from the city life and maybe have a farm… if there was even a farm in Stygian anymore. Kathryn wanted to travel, while David wanted to stay put. It all seemed so confusing; additionally, their jobs ran on completely opposite schedules, meaning that they hardly saw one another and when they did they would fight.

Whenever she was stressed and frustrated, which was often, Kathryn would become angry and shift into a completely different person. She'd yell and scream obscenities at him, be verbally and emotionally abusive and threatening to leave at every chance she could. David usually just took the insults, but once and a while he would yell back, never as cruelly as Kathryn did, but he could see the hurt on her face whenever he lost his temper. He tried to understand her point of view and knew that the world seemed to work against them, making her into this stressed, caged person that wanted relief. He could feel it too.

His stomach turned violently when he thought that she might not love him anymore… and then the horrible thought that neither of them ever loved one another.

He fights back tears in his eyes until he begins to smell the bacon burning. He hurries back and turns off the stove, opening the kitchen window to let the smoke out and avoid waking his wife with the sound of the smoke alarms.

He sits down to breakfast, reading the front-page story of Major Phillip Jacobs who had been missing for a year and was found in an adrift boat yesterday. It sounded like such an unbelievable story, that a woman named Amelia Wyatt happened to be walking along the beach and towed the boat in, finding the missing soldier inside. It sounded almost like a made for tv movie, but at least it had a happy ending. It made David feel slightly better to read about something good happening in this city and that a family was reunited after such a long time apart. He hoped for the best for Phillip, Aurora, and their son, Phillip Jr.

The thought of a child causes a lump to form in his throat. He had always wanted children of his own, to raise them, teach them how to walk and ride a bike, watch his son or daughter play outside with Wilby for hours. It was a happy thought, but unfortunately just a thought. He and Kathryn had talked about having children, but they both knew they couldn't until their home life was more stable. And after several miscarriages and not wanting to go through the pain, the couple gave up. Wilby was their baby and that's all that it could be.

David then looks at his watch and knows he must get to work. His boss would kill him if he was late. He leaves the leftover eggs in the fridge, right next to the fruit salad he'd made for his wife two days ago. He writes a note and places a cup of coffee on the table for her. He grabs a quick shower and gets dressed in his uniform. He calls Wilby in and makes sure that the dog had enough to drink and eat.

Just as he's about to head out the door, he quietly turns and gives Kathryn a light kiss on the head, trying to show love for her, that didn't seem to be there.

…

David barely makes it to _The Golden Deal_ with five minutes to spare.

"Cutting it close again there Nolan," his boss says, coming off the elevator as the employee hurries by.

"I'm sorry Mr. Gold, the bus was delayed again. I really wish they would fix the Grimm Avenue already."

"Perhaps you should talk to the mayor about that?" the older man suggests, adjusting his cufflinks accordingly and polishing the end of his cane with a handkerchief.

"Never going to happen," David mutters under his breath. Like everyone else in Stygian, they feared Mayor Blackwell. They knew that if they did anything, even make a complaint about the city, they would be putting their livelihood on the line and that was something he could not afford.

Mr. Gold merely nods and allows his employee to go on into the casino.

David punches his card and does his usual rounds for the morning shift, checking the slot machines, the supplies of poker chips, the prize wheels, etc. There are already several people in the casino, many of them nursing hangovers while playing their first rounds of cards and betting their chips.

 _Do these people ever sleep?_ David wonders. He barely has the energy to get out of bed in the morning and yet many of these people push themselves to stay awake and gamble their life savings away. _Such a_ _sad existence_.

He checks his schedule and learns that he's at the Blackjack table again. He sighs, knowing that the only reason he's at this table is that he's willing to play honestly. Most of the dealers in the casinos followed their boss' demands to cheat at every opportunity and rig all the games to win more money for business, but David knew he couldn't live with himself if he did such a thing. He knows what its like to struggle for money and to possibly put someone else in a similar position because of him cheating didn't feel right. He knows this is the reason Mr. Gold doesn't pay him very well despite his seniority in the hotel and he knew that this frustrated Kathryn to no end, but he could never live it down if he cheated like that. In a city that had lost all morality, David knew he had to uphold some for himself in order to sleep at night.

He begins shuffling the cards, a skill he'd become very good at over the years. He stares around at people making bets at other tables, rolling the dice, counting their chips, spinning the wheels, and pulling the levers on the slot machines. Who could ever live such a terrible existence? A hollow world of greed and consumerism and he was in the centre of it.

A few people eventually come over and play for a while with the dealer and they like that this dealer is fairer than all the others.

After what feels like hours, which always happens in a casino. Some kind of chaos erupts from outside. A tremendous boom echoes through the entire hotel, causing all the machinery to blink and go haywire.

However, David doesn't hear any of the noise or chaos any longer. A wave of something washes over him and forces its way through his body. He drops the cards he's holding as his mind seems to go elsewhere.

Almost instantly, he sees himself on a quiet farmland with a kindly woman who looked like his mother. The beautiful landscapes make him feel calm and relieved, he no longer felt the stress of his daily life. He was suddenly helping a girl with strawberry blonde braids defeat the cruel landlord who was oppressing his family farm. He remembers guards surround him and meeting the face of an evil man who forced him into a world he hated. One of shallow wealth and sword fights. He becomes engaged to a blonde woman whom he does not love, then their carriage is attacked, and he chased the assailant and tackled them. The shock he felt when he realized that his thief is a woman with pale skin and raven hair and the pain he felt again when she hit him with a rock to escape. Undeterred, he sets a trap and catches the woman in a net. She calls him Charming and tries on the engagement ring which she'd stolen before they go their separate ways. He remembers killing a horrible beast in a lake and saving a man who had turned to gold. He met the woman again and did her best to remember before being captured by an evil woman. He then hurried to her side, wanting to give her one last kiss and breaking the curse with his kiss. The two marrying in front of his mother and then losing her. The couple together in a beautiful church, dressed in fancy clothing, only for the wicked woman to interrupt their bliss and swear revenge. A great many battles, holding an oddly shaped boulder that hatched and revealed a human hand inside, visiting a man who looked like a snake, and the pain he felt when was forced to take their newborn daughter from his wife in order to get her to safety. He feels pain in his side as someone stabs him, but he feels great satisfaction that his daughter is safe before blackness consumes his thoughts.

David's hands shake as he wakes up in a strange place and spending time with Kathryn and then this mysterious raven-haired woman. Losing her to a strange hole, facing off against the evil man again, being reunited with this woman, having his heart torn out, only to be brought back again, the birth of another child, facing the consequences for something he and his wife did, watching a woman be sucked up into darkness, facing off against a man with an identical face, having to continually kiss the woman, only to fall asleep once again. The seeming memories end when he feels the agony and rage of wanting revenge for the death of his father, only to slowly begin to forgive the man responsible.

As if an instant, it's all over. David blinks several times as he tries to comprehend what has just transpired. His ears are ringing. Everyone and everything in the casino has turned into chaos. People are racing towards the doors and he unknowingly follows, still dizzy and in a sort of trance. Car alarms are going off and people are fleeing in different directions along the streets. It's as if a bomb as suddenly gone off.

He sees a crowd of people gathering beside the hotel and he pushes his way to the front to investigate. A man is huddled against the wall of the alleyway screaming hysterically. His nose is bleeding, his eyes are wide in great fear.

"She took my heart… she's a witch! She took my heart from my chest!"

The heart thing causes David to pause… the image or memory before, his heart was also taken out, but how… that wasn't possible without dying.

"T-They disappeared! They're freaks!"

Most people are laughing at the man's hysteria, but David takes some tissue from his pocket and cautiously offers it to the man.

Eventually, the police and paramedics appear in a flurry of loud sirens, and they escort the man into an ambulance. The casino employee is left there as the crowd beings to disperse and police take statements, completely unsure of where to go from here.

Those feelings he felt… they were real, he was sure of it. And that woman… that beautiful woman, he knew what he felt for her was love, something he was lacking… but how could she be real, she was too perfect?! He'd never seen this woman before in his life and yet he felt connected to her. Her beautiful hazel eyes, luscious red lips, flawless pale skin, short dark hair… everything he wanted in a woman.

A police officer asks David about what happened, but he cannot give a response since he never actually saw anything, only felt it. As he begins to go back inside before Mr. Gold catches him away from his post. He notices something in the alleyway, something he'd never seen before and that the police had missed. It was a crystal blue pendant carved into the shape of a heart; it shone and stood out in the dirt and grime of the alleyway. Curiously, he picks it up and examines the beautiful object. It almost seems to glow, even though there was no real light to make it glow. He pockets the little charm and heads back inside, his mind still going back to the image of the woman.


	31. Chapter 30: Shattering a Broken Heart

Elsewhere Part 5

Chapter 30: Shattering a Broken Heart

"Hey, Gina…"

"Hey Leroy, what can I get you?" the owner of the bar asks, pushing her bangs out of her face.

"The usual," the former dwarf answers. He's dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie, wearing something comfy before having to change into his garbage jumpsuit.

Regina prepares him his usual drink before going to serve a few lunkheads in the corner. A couple of regulars who were obviously alcoholics for drinking so early in the morning. It was an extremely sad scene but the significant number of people who come looking for a drink in the early daylight hours is why she opens the bar so early. As she gives them a round of beer, one of them tries to grab her ass.

"Hey, sweetheart," the guy slurs. "Why not stay awhile?"

"Thanks, but I have a bar to run and dignity to keep," she snaps, completely annoyed. This was obviously a usual occurrence to all the females in the bar, but Regina was especially annoyed. If these guys weren't good paying customers, she'd have them thrown out on their own asses in a second. She wished beyond all measure that she could do this.

She brings the empty glasses to the bar and watches as Ashley continues to scrub some of the tables and clean up the darts area while a guy named Ishmael begins cleaning glassware.

"Ish," she says. "Mind if I go on my break?"

"It's fine," the guy says.

"Just make sure those assholes pay their bill and keep their hands-off Ashley?"

"Sure," he says.

Regina removes her apron and then pops another stick of gum in her mouth as she goes. She walks past the kitchen and then ascends the stairs to the second floor. She opens the door at the top of the stairs with her keys and enters a tiny apartment. There's a saggy bed shoved against the far-left wall, a tiny window across from the doorway overlooking a back alleyway with hideous curtains framing it and a large air-conditioner that hardly ever worked, a crumbling vanity with a cracked mirror, a tiny bathroom with a mildew filled shower, a kitchenette with only one working burner for the stove, and a tiny dresser with another round mirror hanging above it. However, the most interesting accessories are the beer and wine bottles stacked in corners or strewn around the room, and even under her bed. Regina tosses her keys onto a three-legged side table, side-steps the maze of bottles, and goes to put her face in the bed, which sags, creaks, and bounces lamely when she hits it. She buries her face in the pillow and just lays there, trying not to think or do anything. Her arm dangles precariously over a dried-up liquor bottle, with her finger tracing the rim. She stays in this position for what seems like hours, wishing that she would just suffocate already.

Eventually, she turns over and stares up at the ceiling, which had a water damage stain that looked a little bit like Nicholas Cage from a weird angle. She continues to chew her gum, wishing it was any other day but this one. Today was the anniversary of his death. Crunching on the gum to alleviate her stress, the bartended lets the tears fall, dragging slowly down the side of her face and soaking her frizzy ringlets.

Three years to the day that her life was ruined, her true love taken from her. It was true that both her parents had been taken in her first year of community college, both in separate drive-by shootings, but Regina only mourned for her father as she was always Daddy's little girl. Her mother expected so much of her only daughter, pressuring her to be perfect in every single way; dress, speak, act, achieve everything perfectly. Cora Mills expected her daughter to become someone she could be proud of; which ended up ruining Regina's life and making a hollow shell of nothing drowned in alcohol. It was only her father who gave her some form of love and was proud of her no matter what she did.

 _Well look at me Mom_ , Regina smirks. _Are you proud of me now?!_ She holds a half-finished bottle of stale wine up as if giving a toast. She pretends to click drinks with the Nicolas Cage water stain and then takes a long swig.

She grimaces at the taste but then lets her arm holding the booze dangle from the side of her bed.

While grieving the loss, Regina happened to walk into a bar where she met him… Daniel.

Her stomach turns in sadness at the mere thought of him. The two fell for each other, instant chemistry, instant connection. Daniel was not like the other guys she'd been forced to date in high school in order to please her mother, which of course were the macho, arrogant jock types. He had actual love in his heart, he treated her like a queen; he wasn't vain or selfish while bragging about all his achievements. He was merely a guy trying to put himself through college and was willing to provide her with the comfort she needed to grieve after the death of her father. He became her rock and she became his wings. It felt as though the two completed one another.

Once they'd both put themselves through community college, they worked in this exact same bar to save enough money to blow this crappy city and find success elsewhere. It was her dream to move out into the countryside, maybe a small town and the two could open up a horse farm or an apple orchard; somewhere peaceful and clean where they could live. Daniel was willing to do anything to make her dream become a reality and the two had saved hard for the trip.

However, all that came crashing down one night while Daniel was waiting for the bus to take him back to their apartment, he saw a wounded cat on the side of the road and decided to cross and try to help it. It made sense to Regina since he was such a caring soul. But just as he was about to reach the opposite curb, a long black car came around the corner at a high speed and hit him. He died in the impact. The only solace that she could summon for the horrible accident was that he didn't suffer long.

Though it became much worse, the grief became so unbearable when she learned that Daniel was found with an engagement ring in his pocket. He'd left his shift, bought the ring and was planning to propose that night. What made everything so much worse was that the long black car belonged to Mayor Blackwell and it was her chauffeur who had hit the pedestrian because the mayor was late for a meeting.

Absolutely devastated, Regina tried to sue the mayor, but never got more than enough to even try to compensate for the life she'd carelessly taken. Never wanting to leave without Daniel, Regina used the handful of money she'd won in court to buy the bar that she and her true love had worked in. In her eyes, it was like keeping him alive. She lived upstairs to cut the costs and tried to keep the place running considering they were in a Maine version of Las Vegas and she had a lot of competition. Fortunately, she had loyal customers who kept her in business and staff who didn't mind working for less as long as they had a job. It was through a lot of alcohol and gum that she was able to keep her sanity and run the bar, without much adequate success in her personal life. She never went anywhere and never looked at another man because it felt like she was cheating on him. The void in her life was a vast and deep one.

Regina continues to cry and drink from the bottle, ignoring the foul taste the stale wine had with her gum. The heavy pain in her chest never went away, the grief and the hole in her life could never be filled, no matter how hard she imbibed the toxic substance. It merely made her numb, which seemed good enough for her. Her life just sucked, nothing else could be said.

Eventually, she sits up, knowing she'll have to go back downstairs. She didn't care if she'd bawled her eyes out and they were now bloodshot, she had to go serve drinks to more sad and lonely people.

She carries the bottle with her, going to the mirror above the dresser. She begins fixing her hair when suddenly the most tremendous force she's ever felt causes everything in her room to rattle. The photos of her and Daniel, and her and her father fall backwards on the surface of the drawers and her mirror nearly falls off its hook.

However, what she feels in that moment is haunting as a strange energy shoots through her like a powerful bullet, she drops the bottle of wine, causing it to shatter at her feet.

She sees herself as a child playing dress-up with a red-haired girl, wearing fancy clothing and laughing at their horrible makeup jobs. The place around them looks like a fancy castle; where would that have come from? She's suddenly riding in green fields before intensely chasing a runaway horse to save a young girl. A man who resembles Daniel gets down on one knee in the stables and proposes to her. She then feels agony in her chest as she watches her mother tear the man's heart out and crush it. How was that even possible? She remembers being fitted with a wedding gown forced into a union with a man she did not love. Her anger and resentment brewing over for the girl whom she'd saved from the horse. She has a vision of a man with scaly skin offering her so much, her sending her mother through an enchanted mirror. She sees another man in a turban falling for her and using him to kill the man she had married. She then went on to seek vengeance against the girl who had caused her true love's death, hunting her down many times, ripping out a handsome man's heart for his betrayal, almost having her executed, but somehow, she managed to survive, capturing the man the girl loved and forcing her to eat a poisoned apple. Her bursting into a colourful ballroom and vowing revenge, hiring a bearded man with a hook to kill her mother, watching the life fade from her father's eyes as she crushed his heart. Another vision comes to her as purple/black smoke surrounds her and her enemy as they disappear from their world. She awakens in a world that she controls and makes everyone's lives miserable. Her feeling lonely and forcibly killing a man while his son escaped. She sees the face of an innocent baby, a little boy whom she comes to love. He grows to look a lot like that kid Vee brought with her the other day, then her hatred towards a blonde woman appearing in her world, killing someone she was close to, nearly losing her son to another poisoned apple, facing a terrible looking demon, wreaking havoc with her mother before the wicked woman died in her arms. Being tortured by a man seeking vengeance for the father she'd killed. Her sacrificing a lot to save the boy, travelling in a ship to an island to save him, her feeling heartbroken about leaving the boy behind and then battling a green-skinned woman. She feels love within herself as she sees a man with light brown hair, blue eyes, and a beard, holding a bow, poised as if to protect her. Regina sees herself fighting with villains and darkness, watching her father and mother find peace and then losing the man in blue light and then fighting an evil version of herself before finally making peace with it.

All of a sudden, Regina blinks extremely hard. She's back in her room, with her shoes soaked in wine. A large shiver goes up against her spine and her head seems to throb heavily with blood rushing through it. She grabs the edge of the dresser to steady herself. Everything about that felt so… real.

She stares at herself in the mirror and for a second, she sees a crown on her head and her wearing fancy-looking clothes.

She steps back and slips, falling into the wine. She groans loudly and absentmindedly begins to change into fresh jeans, but the entire time she does this, the face of the boy… the boy she watched grow looks like that kid Henry Blackwell. The kid of that monstrous mayor who killed Daniel. It could be that she was drunk, and it was nothing but a fevered blackout, but it didn't feel like that. The face in this… vision or dream was so real and matched the Blackwell kid perfectly. Could it have been a coincidence?

Suddenly, Ishmael's voice calls out from the other side of the door.

"Regina, we need your help! Half the wine glasses are gone because of that shockwave! There's glass everywhere!"

How come she didn't hear all the glasses shattering, it would have been so loud?! She finishes changing and then slowly begins walking down the stairs, still unable to shake the boy from her head. She feels as if she needs to know more about him, despite his adoption by the evilest woman in Stygian, and that was seriously saying a lot. As she helps Ashley sweep up the shattered glasses, her mind continues to wander. Next time Vee come for booze, she'll have to ask about this Henry.

 _A/N: Sorry if it's been a while. Here's Regina's flash into her real life. Who knew Crystal's shockwave was so powerful. Please review._


	32. Elsewhere: Chapter 31: Fool's Gold

Elsewhere Part 6

Chapter 31: Fool's Gold

"I'm sorry sir," the voice on the other end of the telephone insists. "But we can't do that."

"Why the hell not?" Gold hisses angrily into the phone. The tired manager of the casinos has stayed up all night trying to find someone, anyone who could possibly track down his wife. Someone with no agenda, who was willing to travel the world, on his dime to find her. Just to give her one measly message that he loves her, and he hopes she will come back to visit him and their son.

"What you are asking for is far beyond our capabilities, we only take cases within the United States and we mostly deal with runaway teenagers and the infidelity of spouses. Perhaps your wife simply does not want to be found because…"

Gold slams the phone down in anger at the mere mention of any form of infidelity. Belle was faithful to him, even after such a turbulent relationship that led up to Gideon's birth.

Both of them had had their differences; Belle's desire to have a quiet family life to raise their son compared to him managing three large casino hotels while his mother was mayor, giving him immense power within the city. He showered them with gifts and did his best to give her everything she had ever wanted, but it never seemed to be enough. For as long as possible, she kept Gideon away from the hotels and the heart of the city, most likely to protect him and give their son a "normal" life. He spent many hours away from his family, making money to provide for them… which was what he wondered if that was the final nail in the coffin for their marriage. He sits at his desk, pondering what his next step should be. He's exhausted and in desperate need of something, anything, a lead to finding his beloved Belle. He needed her to know that he missed her, and he would be willing to do anything to have her come back home, watch their son go off to college and just be together once again.

Gold gets up from his desk and limps across the room to his mini-bar to pour himself a drink. He opens an ice bucket that had the gold-painted design of a spinning wheel on it. His office has a wall of windows behind his large oak desk that looked down at the cityscape. There was a large oil painting of himself on the wall, surrounded by shelves and shelves of books about entrepreneurship, running a successful business, how one could succeed in Las Vegas and so on. Mounted behind his door in large glass cases are a large collection of antique objects, mostly medieval memorabilia. There was a painting of a large sailing ship hanging on the wall above his glass cases of seemingly expensive and valuable objects. One of the rare pieces was a blank globe that was from the 1600s where explorers would draw the various landmasses on with ink to mark their locations. However, his most prized possessions were in the very centre case, behind bulletproof glass and one of the possessions was a jagged-bladed dagger, with patterned markings and a large blank space in the middle where one might engrave something such as the name of the knight who possessed it, however, there were no engravings of any kind on it. The piece was extremely mysterious, all Robert Gold knew about it was that it dated back to the 1400s and could have even been used by Vikings. The other prized possession was a simple white teacup and saucer. It was white with curves around the edges, it a simple blue floral branch design along the side and a ribbon of blue paint along the base. There was no historical value behind it, no monetary one either. It had been something that Belle had found in a curio shop back when the two of them were first dating. She adored how simple it was and said that it reminded her of her mother's own tea set. However, as she held it, she nearly dropped it and it became chipped at the rim of the cup. This forced the owner of the shop to insist that she buy it. Robert, in his good nature, willingly bought it for her and she treasured it, despite the tiny flaw. Once Belle had left and didn't come back, Fiona insisted on putting the things in storage to make room for other fancy things when they moved into their penthouse apartment, but Gold had rescued the cup from collecting dust in a storage unit and once this casino hotel was built, he put it in his case, hoping one day she would come back and ask for it to be returned.

His heart swelled up in anguish as he gazes over his collection, his eyes always landed on the tiny cup. He takes a large swig of whiskey and leans on his jewelled skull cane. He just wanted to know that she was okay… to hear her harmonious, accented voice and joyful laughter, to see her beautiful eyes, to hold her soft face.

There's knocking at his door. He places the drink down and goes to answer it.

His son, Gideon walks in.

"Good morning Papa," he says with a smile.

Being called a papa again made Gold's heart soar so much. After losing Neal in the car accident, he'd never thought he'd ever get the opportunity to be a father, a proper father to anyone; that is until Belle came into his life and they had their son 28 years ago. He'd grown into a fine specimen of a man; he had inherited Gold's eyes and hair colour but had his mother's soft face and overall demeanour. Every time Gideon would ask his father a question on anything, he'd get the same glint of curiosity that Belle always did when she had read something and wanted to find an answer. He had watched his son grow into an amazing young man who was going to go to Harvard for his Ph.D., something he knew Belle would be proud of if she was here.

Gideon dark eyes immediately when he sees how exhausted his father looked. "Papa don't tell me you were up all night again?"

"Don't worry about me, Gideon."

"I do worry about you Papa…" the young man says, coming into the office with a stack of papers to put on his father's desk. "You're the only parent I've got left and…"

He stops short when he looks at what his father's been doing. The yellow pages are open on the desk as well as a missing person's website on his laptop screen. He bites his lip firmly, trying to fight back the emotions inside of him. Gideon looks up at his father, holding back his tears.

"Papa please…" he begs. "Not this again…"

"Gideon…"

"NO! Papa! Mama is gone and she's not coming back. She's made it absolutely clear that she doesn't…" he swallows a large lump in his throat. "That she doesn't want to be in our lives. It's time let go, to move on."

Gold tries not to growl at his son as he grips the edge of his cane tightly. "Gideon, you don't mean that…You know you don't."

"Why wouldn't I?" Gideon says, his breathing becoming faster as he tries to control his emotions. "Fiona has been more of a mother to me these past 15 years than she's ever been."

Gold steps forward, feeling his anger becoming darker and more aggressive. "How dare you think such a thing about your mother! You know she loved you, more than anything in the world."

"Not enough to put travelling it on hold for us… for me!" his son snaps back. He can't hold back the tears any longer.

"It wasn't supposed to be like that!"

"Then what was it supposed to be huh? What was it supposed to be? She's left us, and she's gone! It's time for you to accept that! I have and I'm trying to move on with my life, create a future for myself and maybe one day have a family of my own. And I will never abandon my family as she did."

"GET OUT!" Gold snarls. He's squeezed the end of his cane so hard that the crystal skull snapped off. Neither man focuses on the damaged cane, but it does take quite a lot to snap a piece of pure crystal in half. "AND DON'T COME BACK UNTIL YOU LEARN TO SPEAK ABOUT YOUR MOTHER IN GREAT RESPECT!"

"I CAN'T WAIT TO LEAVE THIS GODDAMNED CITY!" Gideon hollers, as he pushes past his father and out the door.

Gold immediately regrets every word that he's said and wants to take everything back. He hears the front door of the penthouse slam extremely hard, which feels like a stab in the heart. He's losing his son… just like his first. He battles the tears rolling from his eyes and bites his lip hard enough to bleed.

A voice from down the hall calls out to him.

"Robert?" Of course, his mother has to weigh in on the event. The businessman tucks the broken piece of his cane in his pocket and sighs, ready to face Fiona.

The woman comes into the room dressed in a black pantsuit and her hair pulled up into a simple braid. She wears lethal-looking high heels and has a look of concern on her face.

"What was that all about?" she asks, seeing the hurt look on her son's face. She feels the need to mother him and give him comfort.

"We just got into an argument about how we should approach moving all his things," Gold lies smoothly. He didn't want Fiona to know the real reason they had fought because she would say the same thing that Gideon had said. She's the reason they had even argued; she had gotten to his son very early in his life after Belle left and seemingly conditioned him over the years to give up hope of ever seeing his mother again and just "move on." He didn't want to deal with a lecture from his mother right now.

"It sounded like more than that… almost like a…"

"NO!" Robert insists. "It was not about that. We've buried that issue a long time ago. I suppose I'm resistant to letting him go."

"Oh… Robert…" she says sympathetically and pulls him into a hug. She can feel the heaviness in his body as well as slight swelling of dark magic. She became slightly nervous at sensing this, knowing that the only person who should have magic in this town is her, she had ensured that her son's, grandson's, and the Saviour's magic all remain dormant under the darkness of the curse. She's the only one with the power, but this emotional argument had sparked something inside of him, something that had to be quashed as soon as possible. "I understand darling, it's so hard to see them grow up, but in the end, moving on is best for all of us."

"Us?" Gold says, pushing out of his mother's hug. He senses that there is a double meaning to her words as if she's referring to something else.

"I've been talking to Dr. Hopper and he believes that Miss Swan will likely be released very soon. I've been making arrangements for her to move back to Boston."

"But what about Henry?" Gold asks in concern. "The lad would be crushed if his mother just left like that."

" ** _I'M_** his mother Robert," she says through gritted teeth. "She is merely the woman who gave him life. She has no jurisdiction over him at all! YOU do not either, so worry about your own troubles with your own son… And the way he visits her in the sanitorium is not healthy for either of them. They both need to move on from this nonsensical world and get on with their lives."

The businessman is taken aback by the harshness in his own mother's words. He can see a spark of very dark anger appearing in her eyes. He takes a step back, fearing she might retaliate further. He can feel something dark and menacing inside her voice, like a need to control or conquer or destroy something, but what that was he could not say. His heart pounds against his chest as he looks at his mother wearily.

Fiona takes inhales sharply, calming herself before looking back at her son and forcing herself to smile. "I'm so sorry Robert, I did not mean to snap at you, but you know how defensive I get when I think about Henry?"

"Y-Yes," Gold says, still hesitant and not wanting to push the issue any further.

"Anyways, I'm going to meet Miss Swan and Dr. Hopper about her release right now, further the arrangements and finally put all the fairy tale nonsense to rest. I'll talk to you later. Toodles darling."

"Goodbye dearie," he says as she walks away. As soon as he says the word, a chill goes up against his spine. He doesn't like that word, not at all and for a moment, he sees the distressed blue eyes of someone, angrily glaring at him for saying that word.

He snaps from his daze and checks his pocket watch to see that he had to do his daily rounds down in the casino. He goes to the corner of his office and behind a plant, he takes out a new cane, very similar to the one he'd broken. He still couldn't believe that he'd had the strength to break something made of real crystal. Perhaps he didn't know his own strength sometimes... perhaps.

…

Gold comes off the elevator, just in time to see David Nolan rushing towards the entrance to the casino. "Cutting it close again there Nolan,"

"I'm sorry Mr. Gold, the bus was delayed again. I really wish they would fix the Grimm Avenue already."

"Perhaps you should talk to the mayor about that?" the older man suggests, adjusting his cufflinks accordingly and polishing the end of his new cane with a handkerchief.

"Never going to happen," David mutters under his breath.

Mr. Gold merely nods and allows his employee to go on into the casino. The businessman then goes about his rounds, checking to ensure everything is in working order. He then decides to go for a walk, perhaps the relatively fresh air will help him clear his thoughts and think about how he's going to reconnect with Gideon.

He walks along the streets, ignoring the seemingly thousands of people stumbling or walking along the sidewalks. They all part to let him pass as if doing otherwise would cost them greatly. He takes no interest in the bright, colourful displays advertising various services, foods, products, and so on. None of these things bother him because he'd help build it all. He'd been the one to help his mother kick-start the enterprise that would eventually become Stygian City. From the tiny, unassuming town of Storybrooke, Maine, to a large city that everyone had to visit. It was a multi-million-dollar company that he'd worked hard to build. He now enjoyed the fruits of his labour, being able to give Gideon everything and soon could retire very comfortably with a couple million or so. Perhaps he should follow Belle's example and travel the world during his retirement… maybe their paths would cross again.

As he continues through the busy streets, he passes a bar that has two bikers outside pounding each other to a pulp; there are some drunk ruffians joyriding down some back streets, honking and trying to avoid hitting things; a few streetwalkers stand at the corner, shivering and waiting to be picked up. Several of them wink and try to entice Gold since he did look like a rich man, but he ignores them. In an alleyway, he sees cash and other illegal substances change hands and a couple of shady looking men talking to each other while trying to hide pistols in their trench coats.

As Gold finally manages to find a quieter street, that is covered in trash and decorated with graffiti, he realizes why Belle had left!

Everything that he had built, seemingly for his family, had made their home the most dangerous city in America. Crime-ridden, polluted, impoverished in certain places. She hadn't left to travel and see the world to fulfill her dreams, she'd done it to escape this toxic environment.

The older man leans forward in great pain, realizing what he'd done was just drive the woman who loved him the most away. His stomach turned violently.

Suddenly, a great wave of something passes over him and filled his entire body.

Images begin appearing in his brain, they should have been just pictures, but they were more than that. Seeing a teenage wave at him as he flew away in the sky, separating the two of them. Marrying a woman who did not love him back. Being forced to serve in an army against these horrible ogres, meeting an oracle and hearing his future, and then wounding himself to go see his son again. Being labelled as a coward and cradling his newborn son. Confronting a pirate who had seemingly kidnapped his wife and being humiliated; stabbing a hooded figure to protect his son, only to be filled with dark power and seeing his name written on a jagged blade. Becoming a feared entity, killing a soldier as ordered by his son and doing what he pleased to whoever wronged him. A great pain fills his heart as he lets his son go into a swirl of green energy, breaking the promise he'd made in order to keep his power. Taking revenge on the pirate who had humiliated him and took his wife's life for leaving their family. Him staying alone for centuries, wreaking havoc on anyone who dared cross his path, falling for a woman whom he taught to spin straw into gold, only for her to use him to gain power. He meets a woman with long hair and blue eyes, whom he skeptically falls for until she becomes pregnant with his child and to avoid his future coming true, plans to eat the child's heart. He is forced to watch as she disappears into another portal. He trains a young woman in dark magic. He enslaves a woman who looks a lot like Belle, only for the two of them to fall in love and him pushing her away for fear of losing his power. Him causing more mayhem, until being captured by a woman with raven hair and a man with dirty blonde, who looked almost like David Nolan. He sees himself being imprisoned for some time until black smoke covers the land.

He wakes up in a small town and is a man of great power like he is now. He remembers being reunited with Belle, exacting revenge on the Evil Queen, facing off against the dreaded pirate again, watching Belle lose her memory, seeing his son again, and learning he has a grandson before nearly dying. He travels with a group of people to a dark island where he encounters the flying teenager again. When they all come back to town, he sacrifices his life to protect everyone. He sees himself being controlled and held prisoner by a woman with red hair, holding his son while he dies in his arms, killing the woman with red hair and marrying the woman who resembled Belle. He works to be free by trying to kill the pirate but then sees his wife force him over the town line, preventing him from returning, working with many women to come back, only to slowly be dying of darkness. He's taken prisoner by someone who was once a hero and eventually proves himself by removing a sword from a rock. However, power is too tempting to give up, and he gains it all back, only for a blonde woman to demand he take her to find the pirate again. He loses his wife's trust again and watches her go into a deep sleep over a deal he had made a long time ago. He travels to a world made of dreams to rescue her, only for her to hate him and attempt to protect their son. He sees a girl with bright blue eyes throw a car at him and nearly kill him due to the darkness raging inside of her. He tries to reach out to her, become the parent she wanted him to be. He watched this girl leave for the city and is separated from his wife again as she protects their unborn child. He and Belle are horrified to see their son having been kidnapped and grown into a dark entity. He meets a woman who looks like Fiona and then everything goes dark again.

Gold gasps heavily, clutching his chest as his eyes refocus and he's back on the street in Stygian again. He's leaning on his cane intensely, trying to recover from this tense wave of energy. His head is spinning as he feels new strength enter his body, something has been awakened inside of himself. He's unsure of what to make of these images that had flowed through his mind… or were they memories.

He begins to walk along the empty street, relying less on his cane as his leg no longer seemed to hurt anymore. He can feel his fingers tingling anxiously, he felt different, stronger, and remembers something important.

"Interesting," he mutters to himself as he continues to walk. "I didn't think magic existed here anymore."


	33. Elsewhere: Chapter 32: Illusion

Elsewhere Part 7

Chapter 32: Illusion

"I'm fine, really," Emma says as she stands in her hospital room. She's spent most of the night doing pull-ups on her upturned bed frame. After being given the assurance that she will be released soon, she's trying to get back into shape and eating more. Despite the medications, she feels better than she had in a long time. All those delusions are nothing but a memory, she had to keep fighting in order to be released. She wanted to start living her life the way she wanted.

Archie had just entered to talk to her about her progress. He wants to start discussing where to pick up medications and the resources available in Boston for her to continue treatment.

Unfortunately, both of them knew that when it came to Emma's care, this meant that Fiona is not far behind. They braced themselves for her dramatic entrance and her insistence of having a say on what would happen to her son's birth mother. In the back of her mind, Emma senses that Fiona Blackwell is eager to get rid of the blonde, which seems suspicious to her and downright cruel, especially to "their" son. However, at the same time, maybe some space from Henry would be beneficial; if she goes back to Boston, maybe he would drop the fairy tales' delusion and finally start being a normal teenager and at the same time, she could continue progressing more quickly and get her life back. Maybe getting out of this filthy city is exactly what she needs to move on... Maybe it was a mistake for Henry to have brought her here to Stygian.

 ** _No_** , she shakes the thought from her mind. She loves her son and always will, no matter what has happened to them.

Sure enough, the mayor of the city appears in the patient's hospital room with a smug grin on her face. Emma never understood why Fiona took such special interest in her mental health… maybe it was for Henry's sake to know that his birth mother was being taken care of, but she hardly seemed to do anything to actually help the city, seeming to appear when nobody wanted her to and cause interference wherever she could.

"Uh, all due respect, Emma, but you do seem quite agitated," the psychologist says politely.

"Not at all," the blonde says, trying to sound confident in herself. Her visit with Henry had obviously not gone as expected and left her feeling more hesitant about leaving.

"Are you sure, dear?" Fiona says, in an almost sickly-sweet voice.

"Yes, really. Everything is okay."

"Well, I just came to check on your progress. As mayor of Stygian, can you blame me for taking a keen interest in all of our residents?

"All of your "troubled" residents?" Emma says skeptically. "All due respect, Dr. Hopper and Madame Mayor, I know exactly what this is really about."

"Do you now?"

"Henry."

"Oh, yes. Well, you are his biological mother, and he is my son, so perhaps there is a bit more to my interest." She chuckles to her self. "I don't think that's any secret."

"I feel so loved," the blonde mutters sarcastically.

"Uh, sarcasm aside, Emma has been doing quite well of late," Dr. Hopper says, adjusting his glasses.

"Wonderful. Dr. Hopper's reports are very encouraging. I don't think I'm talking out of school to say you might be eligible for release soon, perhaps in the next week or so." The fairy grins, knowing that once the former Saviour loses all her belief and hope, the curse will become a permanent fixture, extinguishing Henry's ambitions of ever breaking it and forcing him to resign to his fate, eliminating the existence of Storybrooke forever, keeping all her enemies in a everlasting state of misery, preventing the prophecy from ever coming true, destroying all light magic and she can finally have everything she ever wanted. "Wouldn't it be nice to paint a different view than these dreary, old hospital grounds? We are working on the landscaping. Perhaps even the Boston skyline? As I recall, you had a lovely apartment overlooking it all. Wouldn't it be nice to go back?"

"Yeah. It would be nice," Emma admits honestly.

"Good, because it's not just your well-being that I'm concerned with. It's Henry's. He's clearly still clinging to the delusion that these stories are real. Now, I'd hoped we were past all that. But now, thanks to you, I have a 14-year-old boy - who still believed in fairy tales."

"Hey! Madame Mayor, please. This is terribly delicate," Archie says firmly, a voice that surprised Emma because she'd never heard him raise his voice once as he was treating her or for as long as she'd known him before that.

"Sorry. I just get so emotional when it comes to my son. I never meant to do any harm."

"Of course, you didn't," Hopper says as politely as he can, even though he knew contrary to her claims that she did not mean her apology.

"But as luck would have it, his book has given me an idea of how we could cure him of all of this nonsense."

"What are you talking about? What do you want me to do?

Burn it. Show him that you've truly embraced reality and then he will. Because belief in something, something that isn't real, can be dangerous."

Emma's eyes go wide in fear. While she's ready to move on from this sanitorium and get her life back on track, she can't destroy something that means a lot to her son. It wouldn't be right; it would crush him and shatter their already very fragile relationship. The blonde glares at the wicked woman for a long moment, she can somehow sense that Fiona wants the book burned for another reason. Despite being in the hospital, her lie detector never failed her. She feels that there's more to the mayor's idea of burning the book, but she doesn't know what.

"No," she finally manages to say, even though she knows she's probably going to regret this answer.

"I'm sorry?" Fiona says challengingly. This is not the answer she expected. "No?"

"Look, I know all these stories are fake, but I can't destroy it. It means so much to Henry. He'd be crushed."

"Well, that's the point to crush his delusions and yours," Fiona says firmly.

"I-I'm not ready for that," Emma says, knowing she's about the reap the consequence for her decision.

"Really? You might not be ready now, but you will be. Of that, I am quite certain. I'm going to go home and retrieve the book and then Dr. Hopper will hold onto it until that day comes. And it will because, Miss Swan until you're ready to destroy the book and make a clean break from this fantasy world, you'll remain locked up."

Emma grinds her teeth, hating that she's still being held prisoner here. She's better, so much better than before and now she just wants out. She feels torn about her own sanity and the trust of her own son. She loves Henry, with all her heart, but they haven't had the opportunity to become close, not since he'd first brought her to Stygian. He'd have to understand that she's doing it for their own good.

"Fine," she manages to say after a long pause.

Fiona turns and exits Emma's room. In a fury, Emma pushes her bed frame down and slams her mattress back on with a mighty bang. She sits on the edge of it, tired and defeated again. Every time she feels as though she's beginning to win a battle again, she's shot down and made to feel like a loser again.

"It's going to be all right Emma," Archie says, even though he knows it won't be. He wants to see his patient succeed but the mayor has him on her leash. She makes the rules and therefore it is law. If it were up to him, Emma would be free, and Henry could keep his book, after all, it was an important relic of his childhood, but with the boy's adopted mother insisting that it be destroyed, he cannot do anything to change this.

The blonde doesn't say anything else to her doctor, she just shuts out the world and grasps her hands together as they shook in anxiety and anger. She just can't do this to Henry, she just can't.

Eventually, Archie leaves the room when one of the nurses comes in with two paper cups, one filled with water, and another filled with her daily dose of pills. The former Saviour accepts them without a word and the nurse shuts the door, the electronic lock buzzing as it does so.

Emma stands up and gazes at herself in the mirror. She can barely recognize herself, it's pretty scary. The thinness of her frame, the dark circles under her eyes, the limpness of her once golden hair; she wishes that things were different, so very different, but now she just wants to get out, spread her wings like a bird and fly away from this nightmare.

Just as Emma's about to put the pills in her mouth, a great surge of energy hits her body and causes her to drop the medication onto the shaking floor. The mirror on the wall rattles intensely and her bed shifts several feet.

Images begin to enter her mind. She sees herself as a baby, being cradled by a man who is fighting with swords against men dressed in black to protect her.

 _No, no, no, none of this is real!_ Her mind screams out.

The pictures change into something different her sitting on the streets, tearing pages out of a book to warm herself, the inked illustration of a swan can be seen. She's then singing into a tape recorder in a group home until an older girl taunts her for thinking she can sing. Her and a dark-haired girl giggling and hanging around in a home while taking videos of each other. A blonde woman forcing her out into traffic in some insane attempt to get her to do something. A painful feeling enters her chest as a family kicks her out because the dark-haired girl she knew stole from the family. Her trying to steal a car, only to be met by a man with dark hair. There is agony in her chest as she's arrested for a crime she did not commit and feels the horror and pain of having a child in prison and then being forced to give him up. The image of a blue birthday candle is seen and then there's a knock at her door, revealing that same son ten years later. The images that follow this reveal happen in rapid succession of her trying to leave a tiny town instead of a city and a seeing a wolf in the road, sitting with her son in a wooden castle by the seaside, bonding for the first time. She sees herself shaking a man she had feelings for as he died in her arms, encountering a man with an obsession with hats, and watching her son fall to the ground from being poisoned.

The images begin to get more bizarre as she battles a dragon in some underground cavern, kisses her son to awaken him and break a curse, being reunited with her parents, only to be sucked into a portal by some cloaked being. Her and a woman with raven hair having to burn their only way home and then encountering a man with bright blue eyes and dark hair that makes her heart race. The two of them climb some large plant and then battle each other by some dried-up lakebed. She's suddenly back in the tiny town before encountering the man who betrayed her and sent her to prison. She stands with a woman whom she hated as they try to stop the town from being destroyed. She ends up in the jungle, trying to save her son and kisses the man with blue eyes for the first time. She watches as she is forced to leave her family behind in a cloud of green smoke, only for the man with blue eyes and dark hair to find her again. Her battling a woman with green skin, holding the father of her son in her arms as he dies, her giving up her magic to save the man with blue eyes and the two of them are sucked into a portal of light. She sees herself nearly freezing to death and encountering that blonde woman again, watching her dissolve into a thousand pieces. Her encountering the former friend again and then being forced to step into a dark portal to save everyone.

She sees herself surrounded by knights, fighting the darkness inside of her, doing deeds that she regrets, sobbing and crying as she tries to save the man she loves which changes her appearance. Doing more deeds that can be seen as questionable, losing the trust of those she loved and is then forced to stab this man with a sword, changing her appearance and destroying the darkness surrounding them. She travels down into the depths of a red world to save this man and then being forced to leave him behind again. The two are reunited in a graveyard after losing another brave soul. Her seeing a vision of herself being stabbed, moving in with the man she loved, becoming a princess in another world, the man proposing to her, battling a giant spider, rescuing the man she loves and becoming engaged again. Her finally able to walk down the aisle of her wedding; singing and dancing in happiness before everything goes black.

Emma gasps in shock as her mind seems to come back to reality. She stares at herself in the mirror, but she no longer trusts the reflection she sees. It's almost like a powerful illusion. Everything that she's just seen feels too real for it to be a hallucination…

She kneels down, trying to catch her breath and the world around her seems to spin out of control.

"No, No, NO! none of this was real. It was just an episode because you missed your medication," she says, trying to keep herself calm. "I can't go back down this road again."

Emma can hear the sounds of the outside world around her, it's as if everything has gone haywire because of this earthquake or whatever. She slowly stands up and gazes at herself in the mirror, unable to shake the feelings inside of herself. Who were those people? The man with blue eyes and dark hair?! The blonde man and the woman with raven-hair? Who were they to her? The moment she sees Henry in the hospital, that was real, seeing him almost near death, except the scene is different from the one she remembered. She kissed him and then a wave of something passed through them and he awoke to tell her that she loved him.

 _NONE OF IT IS REAL!_ Emma screams in her head. You just missed your medication.

With that, the blonde patient gets up and requests the nurse to bring her some more, even though since she's missed her dose; she doesn't feel that much different. She doesn't feel the symptoms of withdrawal, in fact, her head feels clearer than before like she's suddenly exited the fog and come into clarity. Something doesn't feel right so when the nurse brings her the medication, she downs it without a second thought.

…

Fiona turns and leaves the sanitorium without another word, still feeling great satisfaction at having the Saviour completely under her control. She knows she's so close to winning, she can almost taste the sweetness of victory. She smiles to herself in great glee as she heads towards her car.

Suddenly, a massive wave of power explodes from out of nowhere. The sheer magnitude of it nearly knocks her off her feet and she's forced to grab the door of her car to prevent herself from falling over. She can hear chaos erupt around her as cars go off and it feels as though the earth has shifted a bit.

The Black Fairy's heart leaps into her throat. That was no earthquake, she knew magic when she felt it. The curse has been broken! But how?! How in the hell could it have been broken?! She panics at first, she begins looking around, thinking the cityscape will immediately dissolve, all noise will cease, and the pleasant little town of Storybrooke was back. If this was so, then she was in trouble. The citizens of the putrid little town would launch a manhunt after her, seek and destroy the woman who caused all this. They'd done it before when the first curse had been broken. She feels as though her body is seizing up in fear that The Final Battle will truly have begun.

However, the filthy city of Stygian stays in place and the chaotic noises of car alarms, people screaming, and objects falling remains. She squeezes the side of the car tightly as the blood in her brain begins to settle and her heart rate decelerates back to normal.

 _What the hell was that?_ Only she had the power of that magnitude, and yet it came from somewhere deep in the city. There's no way it could have been her son, or Gideon, or any of the other magical beings, everything was under her control and yet… something had shaken the city right to its core and it was powerful, unlike anything she's ever felt before.

Fiona immediately jumps into her car and speeds back towards her home, to ensure that Henry had not done something to shatter her grand illusion.

 _A/N: Special thanks to aliceofspades and Samii 16 for their reviews._


	34. Elsewhere: Chapter 33: Blank Void

Elsewhere Part 8

Chapter 33: Blank Void

Darkness, that's all he can remember… darkness and pain.

When he awoke from some sort of blinded slumber, all he could see was darkness and nothing more. His body was in infinite pain when he realized that he was underground, with no sense of feeling or any memories what has happened to him. He knew nothing of where he was or what he had done to be imprisoned here. When he finally regained feeling in his body, he knows he is some kind of prisoner. Cold manacles are firmly wrapped around his wrists and ankles and no matter how hard he tried to break free from them, they remained firm. He also learns through feeling and unequitable awareness of his body of being in pain, that he's missing his left hand, yet the manacle tightly holds his wrists above his head. Whatever the chains were attached to, kept his body sprawled out in an extremely painful position consistently.

At first, when he'd awoken, he'd tried calling out for help, but the only answer was his own echo in this deep and underground prison. Rattling his chains did nothing to attract help from someone and all he could do was scream out as he was unable to move. He'd screamed until his voice was raw and his joints were sore.

He'd shake his head in despair and let the tears fall from his eyes, the salty drops the only form of warmth he had in the cold underground… cave if he can assume this based on the echo. As he looked down, he notices something around his neck. It appeared to be a necklace of some kind, made of some type of crystal, and glowed a faint blue, flickering consistently with his movement as he struggled to become free. It could barely illuminate his own chest, but the glimpses he had, he was wearing dark and uncomfortable clothing.

Despite the pain in his body and the agony of screaming for help, he never became hungry or thirsty. He would expect such things of a human after a long period of time, but he had no sense of time in the dark and massive void he was in. He suspected that perhaps some sort of spell or enchantment kept him alive and it could even include the crystal that seemed to glow in response to how he moved, preventing him from dying.

However, despite being a prisoner in this cold place, the worst pain and distress he felt was that he had no memory of who he was. His mind is completely blank, it was so agonizing that he could not even recall his own name… if he even had one. He didn't know how he came to be here, who did it for him, why they had done, where he was born, why did he not have a left hand, had he ever felt such pain before or all the other essential questions one would consider important to their identity. Even as he struggles to the point of absolute exhaustion, he fights in his head, trying to unlock anything that could give him an identity. His entire body shudders from the coldness from the cavern, but also the intense agony of not being able to recall anything about himself. The only release he had from this torturous suffering was when he'd exhausted himself into complete unconsciousness. When he awoke, the cycle repeats itself again.

At this moment, he had tried his usual routine of shouting for help and rattling his chains, holding onto the hope that there might be someone out there that could hear him, who could help him and give him the answers her so desperately needs. Sadly, he'd heard nothing but the sound of his own voice, fading into the vast and distant underground structure. Sighing heavily, he wonders if he is dead that this could possible hell. It would make sense, endless suffering, the cold, the darkness that has numbed his senses, no one ever coming to save him. Part of him wishes that if he truly is alive, that death would take him. Anything would be better than remaining trapped in chains for eternity.

However, for the first time, something extraordinary happens that makes him question everything.

There is suddenly a loud rumbling within the cave, giving him the first sensation of anything outside the own pain of his body. It seems to start at the end of the underground labyrinth and move its way towards him. It shakes the walls and his chains to the point where his body almost feels weightless and free from the throbbing and aching sensations of his muscles and joints.

At that moment, when this rumbling reaches his body, he feels a surge of energy enter his entire being, blood rushing through his veins and immense power coursing through his body. The crystal around his neck glows extremely brightly with this newfound energy, practically illuminating everything around him. With this brief light, he can see that he is chained to heavy rocks and several tiny stones fall on and around him due to the magnitude of this strange tremor. The power enters his head and his mind suddenly becomes a flow of what he thinks are memories.

He sees a young boy with dark hair and bright blue eyes waking up from a nightmare, only to be comforted by a man who must be his father. Then, in an instant, he is clinging to his brother as they are forced to serve an evil looking man on a boat out at sea. Both of them endure great abuse until a great storm swept both of them onto the beach with a glowing blue stone. The two are suddenly sailors, travelling the many lands of the sea and exploring with the sheer freedom that came with this position. He sees his brother being cut by some strange plant on a strange island and a young boy warning him about the consequences. Suddenly, he is holding his brother in his arm as he dies in great pain and him taking over the boat like a pirate. How he suddenly knows this word is unknown to him. He spends many years in pleasure and violence before meeting a dark-haired woman with gray eyes whom the two run off together, even after her meek husband begs for her back. The two men encounter each other once again, but the man is now more demonic and rips out the heart of the woman he loves and kills her before cutting off his left hand? Is this how he lost it? He attaches a long silver hook to the end as a replacement and vows revenge on this reptile. He eventually meets another dark-haired woman who forces him to kill his own father and then venture into a bizarre world where a wicked woman of hearts persuades him to work for her. He remembers seeing dark purple clouds descend above them as a dome of protection protects him and the wicked woman of hearts. He pretends to be a victim of mass murder, encountering a beautiful woman with blonde hair and vivid green eyes. The two "flirt" with one another while climbing a beanstalk, him claiming he can read her like a book, and he feels great betrayal when she leaves him and the two battle out their anger in a dried lake bed.

He remembers stabbing the wretched reptile monster in the heart and then being held hostage by two very dark people who promised his revenge. He feels a slow shift in himself as he helps the blonde woman rescue a boy trapped on the same island that had claimed his brother. He remembers willing to trade everything to get her back and out sailing another flock of dark clouds to get back to her. He encounters her in a strange land and falls through a portal of light to save her. He and the woman grow close, kissing passionately and him feeling love for the first time in a long time. He battles to prevent himself from becoming a puppet to the reptile again and owning up to his past in order to prepare for the future. He feels absolute agony at watching the woman he loves step into a cloud of swirling darkness to protect everyone. He tries to convince her to trust in herself and nearly dies before being reborn into that same darkness. He betrays her out of spite, crushes a man's heart and summons demons from the Underworld to come and exact his revenge. He then sees the pain of the woman he loves and willingly is stabbed with a sword to end the darkness. He endures endless pain and torment in the underground red world, only for the blonde woman to come to his aid. He makes peace with his brother and learns of his true love with her. He feels heartbreak having to let her go and then be reunited with her in a bright flash of white light. He begins a new life with the woman, planning to propose with a beautiful diamond ring, only for a terrible deed in his past to force them apart again and him being sent on a great journey under the water, the desert, the same wretched island again, and nearly being burnt at the stake before the woman saves him. He sees her walking down an aisle in a white dress like a floating angel and kissing her, sealing their love before everything goes black.

He gasps out in horror as the energy suddenly leaves his body and he feels the pain coming back. He struggles to scream out for help again, but this time there is something new. All those images are fading quickly and he tries desperately to keep them there. He needs them to know who he was and is. He screams out in pain, begging for the images to stay.

As he screams out, he hears two very important identities.

"EMMA! IT'S ME, KILLIAN! HELP ME!"

 _A/N: This is the last chapter of Elsewhere, now we're all caught up and the story is going to begin picking up again. Thank you to everyone who was patient, but I think it was also good to see how the curse has affected all our favourite characters. Special thanks to aliceofspades, it's so awesome that this is one of your favourite fics, it means a lot to me and Samii16, you've always had my back and I can't thank you enough for the support._


	35. Chapter 34: No One Else Like You

Chapter 34: No One Else Like You

 _A/N: Back to the present moment_

Henry opens a mini-fridge that stands in the corner next to some of his game systems. He hadn't seen it or realized that it was there considering he'd spent so little time in this place before fleeing from the Black Fairy. However, now that this fancy room has become a place of refuge for recovery for both of them, he's allowed to explore it a bit more.

Despite most of this technically not being real, he is impressed that the curse had given him all the things his teenage mind could have imagined; giant tv, comfy couches, bean bags chairs, an infinite number of game consoles, all the comic books and video games he could dream of, movie collectables, and a fridge filled with snacks and drinks so he didn't have to go to the kitchen to get something to eat. All these things would make any teenager happy, but he knew that he could not be tempted by the extravagant gifts and what he truly needed to be happy was his family. While this sounded completely cliché, it was the truth, both needed their loved ones back. Living in a dirty city, surrounded by excessive and expensive things, completely alone, is the saddest and emptiest existence either of them can imagine.

The teenage author spies his favourite soda in the small fridge but decides to just stick with water, considering the morning that both of them have had.

Crystal stands at the glass case holding Henry's _Once Upon a Time_ book is encased behind. She stares at it with great intensity and is tracing the edges of it with her fingers. While it looks as though she's in a trance, but in reality, she's examining what it is made of before trying to break it. It feels like the standard plexiglass; used in museums and many jewelry stores to display the items, the kind that can withstand various forms of impact to reduce the risk of theft. However, after Henry had described how he'd smashed a heavy movie prop against it and even swung a sword against the glass and there wasn't even a scratch on it, she suspected there was likely magic involved. This makes her groan internally knowing that if it is protected like everything else in this town, she's going to have to connect with her inner demons as if she hasn't had enough problems with them already today. Within 24 hours, she's nearly broken a man's arm, drunk strong alcohol to nullify the feelings, opened a secret room before snapping at Henry in anger, let off a seismic explosion, and almost killed some random guy while hurting her "brother" in the process. These actions would be something only her father or grandfather would be proud of, but not her. She feels such deep regret for most of these things, while she never should have tried to rip out the man's heart in the alleyway, he was trying to assault her, so some form of justice was warranted.

She can feel the black leather cuffs in her jean jacket pocket. At any moment, she can ask Henry to put them on, stopping this magical nightmare, and saving everyone a lot of pain and trouble. There just seemed to be too much risk with her powers. However, if she does this, then she probably won't be able to free the _Once Upon a Time_ book, which they will definitely need if they're going to end this curse, and Henry can do very little to defend them against the wicked Black Fairy's attacks. It seems like magic is an unwinnable battle, it came with a huge price like her father always said, a price that others were paying because of the darkness in her veins.

She waves her hand over the case, attempting to teleport the book without actually having to break the glass, however, something stops her from doing this, causing her hand to burn. The sensation was all too familiar considering she's already been repelled by this type of dark magic before, at the mansion where she found Phillip and in the mines. It's her grandmother's and Crystal is hating that she must go back into her inner darkness to counteract the wicked enchantments that protected the book.

She sighs heavily, her hand shaking slightly. While it had been a few hours, it only feels like a few minutes ago that she'd nearly gone full Queen of Hearts and ripped out the most vital organ in a human's body. She just doesn't want to go through all that again, especially putting Henry's life at risk.

The teenager brings over a bottle of water and tries to tap Crystal on the shoulder, causing her to shriek slightly in fear and her hands to light up slightly.

"Sorry," he says. "I thought you might be thirsty."

"Oh… thanks," she says, opening the bottle and taking a long drink from it.

"It wasn't your fault you know," he says quietly, knowing that it's probably a good time to comfort Crystal now that her hands have stopped flickering in fear and she's no longer emotionally unstable.

"What?" she asks.

"The bloody nose and the heart thing… the guy was asking for retaliation; he was threatening to kill us…"

"It still didn't warrant me going full Jack the Ripper on him and removing his vital organs," she says.

"Your darkness did that… that's not you Crystal…"

"How do you know that?!" she snaps, turning to face him. Tears are burning in her eyes and a large lump in her throat is cutting off her breathing slightly because of how awful she feels. "It's been with me since the day I was born, it's defined so much of my childhood and teenage years?! How do you know that I'm not some sadistic monster who can use her magic to do whatever the hell she wants? Killing anyone she hates and using everything that she can to come out on top?!"

"Do you even hear yourself?" Henry says calmly, though he does take a step back just to be safe.

"LOOK! You're even afraid of me!" she says, no longer bothering to wipe away the tears. Her hands glow purple as her magic becomes more unstable with her weakening mental state. She leans against the glass case, ignoring the burning sensation in her hands as her magic meets her grandmother's.

"You just described what my mom and your dad used to do, and it's what great-grandma does now," he points out. "But my mom was able to change, put her past behind her and become a better person. It wasn't easy, but she did it. While she needed a tonne of second chances from the town; my love and belief in her, and Robin's love helped her do that, but you did it all on your own. You had no one helping you move on from this darkness after… you lost your mom. You could have become as bad as your dad or the Black Fairy, but you didn't. You turned your life around all by yourself and you did it because you wanted to be a better person and not let that darkness control you. You wanted to make your mom proud and I'm sure you've done that a hundred times over. You're so much stronger than you think you are and you're a good person Crystal. You always say that you'd rather die than become like your dad and you're not like him. You're my sister and I love you. Everyone in our family loves you too. You have to believe in that because if not… then I'm going to have to break this curse myself."

Crystal sighs, staring intently down at the fairy tale book encased in the glass. She knew Henry was right; she had done so much to become a true hero and while she'd never been perfect, she'd done so well at never letting the darkness take her over again and be the person that she and her mother wanted her to be. Her mother… Lillian Miller. A woman who sacrificed everything for the sake of love and protecting her child. How disappointed would she be if the child she fought so hard to save from the evil Rumpelstiltskin and be given a chance at life abandoned the rest of her family because she was afraid? She did not die just to watch her daughter give up and run away from the true source of darkness, leaving those Crystal loved to a life of pure misery and oppression. Lillian had raised a better daughter, and this is not where her story should end, becoming a coward like her father. She was a hero and she had to prove it... again

The daughter of Lillian Miller and Rumpelstiltskin lets a few tears fall from her eyes, drip down her face and land on the glass case as she thinks about her mother and how the love the two of them shared had always been her balancing point. It had given her strength in light magic and allowed that rare balance between darkness and light to be struck, making her powers special and giving her a hard-earned second chance at life. The love she received from her family members was keeping that balancing act alive and were always there when she needed help. Now, they needed her and her magic to help Henry break this curse.

She sighs, feeling the strength of light magic flowing through her.

At that moment, there's a rumble beneath both of their feet and a loud cracking sound is heard.

Both look down in shock as the glass case that once held Henry's book is now cracked open like an egg, allowing either of them to grab the precious item inside. Crystal almost immediately grabs the book, feeling completely amazed at what had just happened. She hands the volume to Henry, who is astonished but also extremely happy to have his book back.

"What… what happened?" he asks in utter shock and surprise. "You didn't use dark magic, did you?"

"N-No," she says. "I was thinking about my mom and how much I loved her. I also thought much I love our family and I could feel the light magic inside of me. If felt extremely powerful, and I guess the case couldn't take it and cracked…" Her eyes light up further. "Like two opposing forces repelling against one another until the weaker one snaps."

"True love can break any curse," Henry nods.

"True love?"

"The true love of a family, it's how my mom saved me from the Sleeping Curse, and it's what broke the second curse."

Crystal smiles, which feels like such a long time since she's done so. "I guess it is true love between a mother and her child, and between everyone in a family." She rushes over and embraces Henry tightly, squashing the fairy tale book between them; new happy tears form in her eyes. "Like a brother and a sister."

The teenager doesn't say anything and just hugs her back, almost as tightly. The two needed each other to break the curse and help his mom bring back all the happy endings.

"Loved your hope speech by the way," she says jokingly when they finally break apart. "Have you been taking Snow White lessons?"

"What can I say, it runs in the family," he grins.

 _A/N: I know this chapter is a bit cheesier than most of them, but this is exactly what Crystal needs to hear right now to get back on track. Thanks to everyone for reviewing._


	36. Chapter 35: What is Still Unwritten

Chapter 35: What is Still Unwritten

"Do you have your pen?" Crystal asks as she grabs an equally thick book from Henry's bookshelf and casts a glamour spell on it to make it appear like the _Once Upon a Time_ book. The daughter of the Dark One lays the disguised book down on the ruptured platform. She then uses her magic to repair the glass case that had cracked open like an egg due to her light magic overpowering the dark. She cannot help but feel some relief that she didn't have to use dark magic to open it considering she'd already done enough damage today because of her inner demons and darkness.

Henry removes the author's pen from his backpack, his heart pounding in pure happiness that he finally had his book back in his arms and he's able to hopefully stop this craziness that the Black Fairy has unleashed upon all of them.

He opens the book to the last page that had been written. The page had writing about Rumpelstiltskin confronting his mother and claiming victory over the embodiment of all evil. Of course, the book then states that this was all a lie, but their family didn't know this. Henry then begins writing to fill in the blanks, which pleases Crystal immensely, thus allowing her to fully understand what had happened just before the wedding. She reads over his shoulder as he writes about the group seeing the Black Fairy's curse in the clock tower, Emma willing to sacrifice herself in order to save her loved ones who were frozen and under the insidious woman's control. However, the song in Emma's heart protects it from being crushed and the wedding occurs without incident. An image of Emma and Killian kissing as they seal their vow of love magically appears on the adjacent page in ink. Crystal can't help but tear up at the image of her family is so happy. A slight pang of sadness hits her heart because she wasn't there to share in the joyous moment.

Henry continues writing with the pen glowing ever so slightly.

 ** _Their eyes looked lovingly into one another's faces as the wise cricket confirmed that they were now husband and wife._** He writes. **_When their lips touched to seal their vow of true love, everything in all the realms stopped moving for a moment before jumping for joy as a lifelong dream of happiness was about to begin._**

"She looks beautiful," Crystal says, feeling some envy over Emma's beautiful gown. She recognizes the dress' design from a pop culture book that she'd read back in New York. "Very Grace Kelly."

Henry smiles and nods in agreement. "She looked so beautiful. I heard Grandpa say that she looked like the true princess that she was always meant to be."

"They look so happy," she whispers. The sadness has increased to the point that tears are welling in her eyes, but they were very different from the ones she's shed from earlier. They are not tears of regret, shame, and anger, but tears of happiness, mixed with sadness. She wishes beyond all measure that she was there to share in the joy and even sing-along with everyone. She wanted to be with her true family and be part of the celebration. Sometimes she wished that she didn't have to keep moving back and forth from New York to Storybrooke and could just live in the town already. However, at the same time, if she had been at the wedding, she would likely become some drunken gambling addict or a streetwalker or even in yet another street gang with no idea of who she truly was. She would also be alone in the world again, consumed by guilt and hatred. While their current situation was not ideal, at least she had Henry with her and they could lean on one another for comfort and support.

"It was a magical moment," Henry nods as he continues to write.

 ** _Then at the stroke of six, the town's timepiece burst open with thick black clouds as the Black Fairy's curse was cast. It spread very quickly and while the Saviour declared victory over the woman's evil, no further words were spoken as everything was consumed in ultimate darkness._**

He turns to the new page and resumes his writing. He goes on to describe the wasteland of Stygian and his encounters with people he loved and how the Saviour had lost all her hope and most of her belief.

Crystal then describes to him what she had done to help Phillip and Aurora become reunited, sharing True Love's kiss, which she thought was important to mention. While it was not powerful enough to break the full curse, it brought back some desperately needed hope to the characters. Henry writes a brief paragraph about it creating a ripple in the protective field of evil surrounding them. Then comes the most recent part:

 ** _The brave author seemed to be at his wit's end when the joyous reunion of the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin and himself occurred in the heart of the ruined Storybrooke. The two felt great joy and hope of being together, able to work with one another to save their family._**

"Finally, I'm in the book," she jokes. However, this was, in fact, true to an extent considering her mother's origin story was never mentioned in any of the stories and most of her life was in The Land Without Magic and was not written about. Her reunion and amends with her father were mentioned, but like many other of the vast array characters in such an intricate and complicated world, she faded from the pages… that is until now.

"You deserve a book of your own," Henry says.

 ** _While her humour often fell flat to brighten the mood…_**

Both of them chuckle at the joke.

 ** _…_** ** _the two brave warriors did their best to battle the evil that lurked behind every corner. In a moment of desperation, the young Crystal created an eruption of conflicting energy. The shockwave she had made, created a great stir within the tiny town, showing that magic indeed existed and would be powerful enough to wage war against the Black Fairy._**

"We should be so lucky," the daughter of the Dark One mutters to herself.

"What did I tell you before?" the author says. "You're strong enough to do this. No matter what happens, we do it together."

"You're right, I'm sorry," she sighs. "I'm just having a hard time having faith right now."

"I know… but you have to."

"Can you write that the darkness will not control me and I will be able to help?" she questions.

"I wish I could give you that reassurance …" he says. "But I can't do that. As the author, I can only record what has already happened, I cannot write about future events. See, watch…"

He attempts to write that the curse was broken, but before the ink was even dry, the words vanished, consumed back into the book. It reminds Crystal of a scene from a Harry Potter movie where something very similar happened. If the book starts writing back to them and calling itself Tom Riddle, she will personally ignite the volume herself.

"And even if I could, the pen would see me be just like Isaac, manipulating things for my own gain, and it could choose another person."

"Which could lead to the Black Fairy getting her hands on it," Crystal finishes.

"Right and if she had this power, there's not a chance in hell we could stop her," he agrees.

"You've been to Hell, is it nice?"

"No better than this hole."

The two laugh quietly to themselves, trying to lighten the mood as much as possible. Once he's finished, the pen stops glowing and Henry shuts the book.

"Now what?" he asks.

"We should go see Emma soon," Crystal decides. "See how bad she needs our help."

"But we'll have to do it once school lets out. No doubt the hospital would likely tell the mayor about our visit and if the school tells her my clone was there… Operation Evil Twin will go up in smoke."

"Right, and then I'll show you the place I found where we can hide out. Because no offence, I'd rather do our curse-breaking plans out of earshot of our enemy."

"This place is much bigger than you actually think it is. She couldn't hear us unless her ear was pressed against the door. Also, you found a base?"

"Yeah, it's on the edge of the city, in the Storybrooke area. I'm not sure if it was Jefferson's old mansion or even the Apprentice's, but I found Phillip under the sleeping curse in there and it was protected by dark magic, meaning Grandma didn't want us to find it. I figure she won't need it now and I can protect it with our own magic."

"Sweet."

The two spend most of the afternoon hiding out in Henry's room, eating snacks, and biding their time and waiting for the opportunity to escape and go see the Saviour. Crystal reads about what she had missed in the past month including the visits from Regina's separated alter-ego and people from The Land of Untold Stories appearing, led by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Eventually, Henry's fancy clock radio tells that school will be letting out soon. The two gather everything they will need, including extra food and water, a backpack to carry their supplies, and Crystal even shrinks Henry's prop sword down to fit in the bag as well in case they needed it. They leave the room as pristine as possible, and then Rumpel's daughter teleports them down into a back alley as they head towards the Saviour's current prison.

 _A/N: Here's another chapter. Please follow and review._


	37. Chapter 36: Old Friends Meet Again

Chapter 36: Old Friends Meet Again

"I'm just going to warn you now," Henry says as the two of them walk through the quieter streets on their way to the asylum. "My mom… she's completely different because of the curse."

"How different are we talking? Are we talking Dark Swan different? Or Wish Realm different?" Having read about these personas in his book and heard from Regina what happened when the Evil Queen forced Aladdin to grant Emma's wish.

He pauses for a moment. "Combine them, add more hopelessness and despair, sprinkle in what she was like when she first came here, and you'll have the cursed Emma Swan."

"Yeesh, that bad huh?"

"She's depressed, angry, and distant like when she was the Dark One; she claims that she's delusional and still living in a fairytale world like Princess Emma was… And she doesn't see light at the end of the tunnel. She thinks she needs help and lets herself be manipulated and controlled by the Black Fairy. That's not the Mom I know. She doesn't trust me anymore, thinking that I'll undo her progress she thinks she's made… She pushes me away. Guess I had that coming after I pushed her away when she was the Dark One... It's like talking to a stranger, who hasn't gone to Neverland and sacrificed so much to save you…"

The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin notices the pain in Henry's face and the tears welling up in his eyes. She pauses in the street, stopping and turning Henry to face her. She then wraps her arms around him very tightly.

"It will be okay," she says. "Once the curse is broken, the real Emma will come back."

"I-I know, it's just so hard."

"It's always hard to see your loved ones suffer, especially when they don't deserve it."

The two remain embraced for a long time, just reassuring one another that they will break this curse, no matter what.

When they start walking again, Henry brings up something else.

"Also, with the curse and everything, she probably won't know who you are, so be prepared for that too."

"Please, I'm used to it by now. After both Ashley and Aurora didn't recognize me… the woman who would babysit for them and help organize _Baby Time_ , I knew that my entire existence had been wiped from this town. You have no idea how happy I was when you used my name and knew who I was."

"Do you think your dad will remember you?"

"With him, it's hard to tell; he can always find a loophole of some kind. But I don't want to confront him right now because I will no doubt throw him through a wall for letting his mother do this to us."

"Get in line," the teenager agrees. He'd been so confused and overwhelmed by everything that he had forgotten that this was all technically his grandfather's fault for not facing his destiny and doing what needed to be done. He could partially understand why anyone would be hesitant to kill their own mother, but the woman was called The Black Fairy; she'd abandoned Rumpel as a baby, she'd stolen his Uncle Gideon as a baby, forced him to do evil things including trying to kill Henry's birth mother, and she was the embodiment of all things evil and dark. Much like Cora or Cruella, there was very little chance for this entity to redeem themselves and needed to be eliminated. Now, they were all reaping the consequences of his grandfather's decision. Henry hopes that he remembers because he deserved to know about the suffering that he'd brought on everyone, including his wife, son, and daughter… if they can even find Belle.

The teenager then looks up and swallows a large lump in his throat.

"We're…here."

The two of them come to a great big, green building, that reached up into the gray Maine sky. The building had gardens surrounding it that looked like they were dying, there were fences on all sides of the place to keep people in. Crystal looks up at the big black letters of the sign of the asylum:

 ** _Stygian Mental Ward_**

The building may have been green in colour, but to her, all Crystal can see is a gray-shaped prison to hold those people with genuine mental illnesses (or curse created) and prevent them from escaping. What reinforced her assumption that this place was undoubtedly a prison were the bars on all the windows and the front doors have security codes. Even when Henry presses a button to speak to the person at a front desk and then the loud buzzing, a heavy thunk signalling the door is open, and the security x-rays, it confirms her notion even further. She wouldn't be surprised if there were guards on the other end of the hallway ready to do baggage checks.

The teenage author leads his companion to the front desk; having become used to this, he knows to ignore everything happening around them. Crystal, however, looks around the area in utter horror, wrinkling her nose at the most awful smell, and becoming sicker at the poor condition of this so-called "mental hospital." The front desk area is piled high with papers with brown coffee rings staining them and dust covering the old and clunky looking computer. She can see the water cooler nearby is filled with green, atrocious looking liquid and there are mousetraps in all the corners of the room. An old fan tied with bits of paper blows just behind the desk, causing more dust to float into the heavy air. The place could hardly be described as clean, or even safe for that matter. There was filth on the walls, each door had security locks and bars on the tiny windows and there are splotches of what could very well be blood from patients harming themselves or fighting with one another. No one seemed to have thought to clean it up to avoid disease spreading into the ward!

 _I thought society had moved past this…_ she thinks to herself. She remembers reading all about asylums of the past and how patients were treated like sub-humans and the conditions of the hospital were appalling. It appears that the Stygian Mental Ward was going to join the ranks of the worst asylums in history.

When Henry clears his throat to get the clerk's attention, the newest visitor turns back to focus on what was important. She recognizes the nurse behind the reception desk. Nurse Rachet, like from that book she was forced to read in high school. The sullen, strict, and angry healthcare professional looks up from her mountains of paperwork to stare at the two visitors. Immediately, she recognized one of the faces, but her expression shifts into more annoyed than stern. She doesn't even try to hide her eyes rolling.

"Back, again are we?" she asks in a rather annoyed and impatient voice. "I'm actually under strict orders from your mother to only allow you in here every two weeks."

"She is not my mother!" the teenager growls. "My real mother is trapped here because of the Bl…" He catches himself realizing he's going to let fairy tale knowledge slip to an asylum nurse. "Because of the Blackwell family."

Crystal puts a tentative hand on her "brother's" shoulder, trying to calm him down. This is a sensitive subject to bring up with him, but she cannot blame him for becoming so angry. She hated the fact that she was related to Rumpelstiltskin so much, that she would snap at anyone who would mistakenly call her Crystal Gold, instead of Miller. And now, Henry is being raised by her evil grandmother, instead of being raised by the Evil Queen. Man, adoption was not helpful to Henry on any level, no matter what curse had been cast.

"And who's this? Are you here to see a family member?"

"No, I'm a friend of Henry's," she answers.

"Strange, he's never mentioned you before, or that he has a friend."

Crystal glares at the cynical nurse when Henry winces in embarrassment and pain.

"Hey! Back off Lady!" she snaps. "And not that it's any of your business, but I've known Henry for a long time and I just got back into the city after my family moved away. We've lost touch for a long time; that is until we ran into each other yesterday. And I've decided to give my friend the support he deserves. So, don't ever assume that he doesn't have any friends!"

Nurse Ratchet is surprised by the girl's outburst, almost to the point of being impressed that she was willing to stand up to her. She frowns very deeply, her eyebrows knitting themselves together. The health practitioner decides not to get angry with the girl and instead let it go. It was partially her fault for assuming that Henry Blackwell didn't have any friends.

"You're right… I apologize for my assumptions, but can I ask you to please keep your voice down because we do have patients in this hospital who have very adverse reactions to screaming or loud noises, so I suggest you keep your voice down."

Almost immediately, Crystal's demeanour shifts to one that is more respectful for the people in this hospital who really do struggle with illness.

"I'm sorry for becoming so angry."

"It's fine, but if you are visiting Emma Swan with Henry, you just need to sign the registration book now and when you leave."

"Fine… fine," the young adult says quickly. Crystal grabs a pen from a rusty coffee can and waits until Nurse Ratchet digs the registration book out from underneath a pile of papers. She signs in as herself and not her alias, figuring the best way to approach Emma would be as herself.

"I'll send another nurse to bring her down to the Visitor's Room," the stern woman says. "Henry, I assume you know where to go?"

The teenager just nods and then Henry guides his friend down the hallway towards the Visitors' Room. The place is barely lit, except with fluorescent lights, which flicker every so often. They can hear whispers in the place and even some crying as well. When they reach the designated room, it looks as though the patients in it have barely moved since Henry was here the day before. It's as if the doctors or nurses didn't care if the human beings sitting in the faded velvet chairs lived or died. By now, Henry had learned just to ignore the staring, sad eyes of the other patients, but Crystal cannot. She is just as horrified by the appalling conditions as he had been and is filled with anger that this place could even be considered a "home." The place was downright horrendous, it made her feel sick, angry, and depressed; no one deserved to live here. The teenaged author finds the same card table from before and sits down, the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin grabbing a folding stool and sits down next to him. He continues trying to avoid eye contact with the other patients, who were dressed in hospital robes, but Crystal can't help but give sympathetic looks to the frightened and sad people surrounding her. She gives a few of them comforting smiles, which seems almost foreign to them because it was likely that no one every smiles here. A few of those who are not trapped in their illness manage to smile back as if giving the young woman reassurance that she had made a difference in their lives by a simple gesture.

"Thanks for standing up for me back there…" Henry whispers in the silence. "But you didn't need to."

"I know, I'm sorry about that. I know you can fight your own battles easily, it's just all of this has put me on edge, and I guess I've become pretty defensive."

"It's cool, it shows that you care and…" he says.

Then a frail figure comes into the room, causing both of them to go silent and Crystal to gasp in horror.

Coming towards them is not her "surrogate sister," but a shell of something that has been beaten into submission. She's the not the Saviour that Crystal has said goodbye to more than a month ago; a happy friend with her head leaning on her beloved pirate's shoulder as they waved their friend out of town. Her entire body shakes slightly as if nervous, her shoulders are slumped forward as if in defeat or carrying a heavy burden, which meant that she'd likely given into the curse. Her once lively blonde hair had lost its shine, her ringlets hanging limply around her face and her green eyes are surrounded by deep black circles. There also appeared to be shiny stains on her cheeks, probably from crying. Her face is as pale as the hospital garments she's wearing under a dull gray sweater. This was not the Emma that Crystal remembers, nor is it the happy bride whose image appeared in the storybook a few hours before. It takes all her strength not to burst out crying or run to Emma and hug her.

The former Saviour, herself, is also in shock at this strange face sitting next to her son's. She has no clue who this could be. She didn't look like an adoption agent or a lawyer if Henry had somehow become so desperate that he was trying to have Fiona's parental rights removed. She also did not look like a psychiatrist either. This gives the blonde some relief that her son also didn't go out and find another doctor to help her; she was fine with Dr. Hopper and since her progress was nearing a conclusion of leaving, she felt as though a new doctor would be completely pointless.

And yet, there was something familiar about this girl, but Emma couldn't quite put her finger on it. It's as though she'd seen this girl before, but where? Certainly not in Boston.

Her sad eyes shift to her son, who immediately stands up and engulfs her in a hug. She feels some comfort in the hug and being near her son again.

"Hi Mom," Henry says quietly, holding her tightly.

"Kid?" Emma says in confusion. She pushes back from their embrace. "What… what are you doing here? Madam Mayor says we're only supposed to meet once every two weeks and your visit yesterday still counts."

"I don't care!" he states firmly. "I don't care what she says. She's not my Mom, and I will come and visit my real mother whenever I feel like it."

"Henry, don't talk like that. You know I'm your birth mom, but Fiona raised you."

"She didn't raise me, Regina did!"

"Not this again Henry please," the Saviour says, her eyes filling with tears so much that she's forced to sit down. She puts her head in her hands; her entire body shakes uneasily causing her hair to sway back and forth. "Regina did not raise you. I did not raise you. Fiona did. She's your mother, not me! Not again! I can't deal with this right now. Not after this morning."

"This morning?" Henry says, he leans down next to his mother. "What about this morning?"

"No… I can't talk about it… it will ruin my progress."

"Mom, it's okay you can tell me. I won't tell anyone, I swear."

"You expect me to believe that when there's a complete stranger sitting in front of us?" the blonde questions, looking up at her son and then at the girl in the chair.

"It's okay Mom, she's a friend. You can trust her."

"Can I?" she mutters sarcastically. "Did she tell you that herself?"

"Yes, she's a friend of mine. Her name is Crystal, Crystal Miller."

"Hi…" the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin says politely.

"A friend?" Emma says, eyeing the girl suspiciously. She has great hesitation in her voice. How could she know if this wasn't some prostitute that her son had grabbed off the street or some hitchhiker waiting for the perfect moment to rob her son? She couldn't let that happen, despite being in the mental ward, she could still protect her son… somehow. Yet, her lie detector wasn't going off, Henry seemed to be telling the truth. She decides to bite the bait and see where this will lead them. "Okay, then how come you never mentioned her before?"

"I…"

"I just recently came back into town," Crystal speaks up, knowing she's going to have to lie to get her sister to trust her. "You see, Henry and I met in school a couple of years back. I was his reading partner at school and we hung out when we could. But eventually my parents got divorced and my mom got a transfer to Washington D.C. So, we kind of drifted apart. Right Henry?"

"R-Right."

Emma eyes the two of them suspiciously. Despite being in the mental ward for the past few years, her lie detector still worked, even if it was a bit rusty at times. She could immediately sense that neither of them was being truthful, even though… Crystal seemed to know Henry in some way.

"I just came back into town because my family owns a scrap metal dealer and I travel around looking for good metal to recycle. After I spent the day getting rejected from boaters down in the harbour, I went looking for some food and I ran into Henry at _Granny's_."

" _Granny's_?"

Emma's confused reaction stung both of them a little.

"It's that small diner outside of Stygian. Remember I had you take me there a few times?" Henry asks. He knows he's just guessing, and it could be a long shot, but he had to have some form of memories with his birth mother before she was incarcerated.

Emma bites her lip in hesitation. Her mind digs deeply through the hours and hours of therapy, the haze of medications before she was put in the mental ward. Sure enough, she can vaguely recall taking her son to a tiny diner for hot chocolate with cinnamon.

"Yes, it has been a long time, but you always loved Granny's hot chocolate with cinnamon the best." She manages to smile at the memory.

Henry can feel tears forming in his eyes in happiness. At least there are some positive curse memories deep inside his mother's troubled mind. He reaches over and grabs her hand tightly, clinging to the single moment of clarity and connection with his birth mother before the curse took a hold of her mind again.

"No one's hot chocolate was better. Especially the cinnamon on top of the whipped cream."

"I'm surprised that the place is still open," Emma says.

"It is… was the heart of Storybrooke, the town, and it's hard to stop a beating heart," her son says, almost poetically.

"I guess," the blonde shrugs. She then stares at the "friend" of Henry's for a long time before extending her hand. Secretly, she is glad that her son has at least one friend who can keep him connected to reality. She'd often heard from Fiona that the teenager struggled to make any friends, mostly keeping to himself. This broke his birth mother's heart because she wanted her son to be more open and loving, not end up like her, which mostly stemmed from her time in foster homes and Neal's betrayal.

"It's nice to meet you, Crystal, I'm Emma Swan."

 _Swan-Jones_ , both Crystal and Henry think together.

"Emma, that's a nice name," Crystal says, shaking the Saviour's hand. "Henry's already told me a little bit about you."

"Really? Like what?"

"That you're his birth mother, that you are a survivor, that you're much stronger than you think you are, and that you would fight a dragon or go to the ends of the earth for him."

The dragon reference causes the blonde to twitch slightly and bite her lip. A flash of what happened this morning… that strange hallucination of her throwing a sword at a dragon comes back into her mind. She shakes the image from her mind and tries to refocus. She forces herself to smile slightly through clenched teeth.

"I guess all of those are true, although I won't be going very far to save him right now."

The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin frowns in deep concern for her surrogate sister. Emma Swan truly is gone, buried underneath this cursed persona, helpless to believe in anything or have hope.

"But Henry tells me you might get out soon."

"That's the hope," the Saviour says weakly. "And then maybe I can try being your mother again Kid."

"Only if you stay here," he says quickly, wrapping his arm around her bicep and laying his head on her shoulder.

"Kid…" she sighs. "You know it's best for both of us if I leave, go back to Boston…"

"How can you be my mom if you're in another state?!" he protests.

"We can talk on the phone, or even Skype."

"I don't want to Skype with you. I need you here… we need you here."

"We?" Emma inquires.

Henry swallows nervously, knowing he's letting something slip that he's not supposed to. Fortunately, Crystal comes to his rescue.

"I think Henry is going for a more metaphorical sense, that the city needs you. Henry tells me that you were a bail bondswoman for a long time in Boston. He thinks you might be able to bring some law back to this city if you stayed."

"Thanks, guys, I appreciate the encouragement, but I need to leave this city behind… Dr. Hopper says it will aid in my recovery."

"But you're not sick!" the teenager insists.

"Henry, you know I've been struggling with this for two-and-a-half-years. I've had some good breakthroughs and I might have a few episodes like this morning in the future, but as long as I stay on the medication and continue therapy, I'll be fine."

"Episodes?" Henry says both of Emma's visitors' minds are perked up. "What episodes? What happened this morning?"

Emma shakes her head in determination. She will not let this happen, she will not destroy her progress. She doesn't want to reveal the struggles she has with a total stranger; despite this person being in a mental hospital with her son. Then again, Dr. Hopper would want her to share her episodes to work through them. Her discussing the moments could also help Henry for him to finally let go of the fairytale fantasies and know that she is living in the real world, and so should he.

"It's nothing. It's just… the earthquake this morning caused me to have some flashbacks."

"Flashbacks?!" Henry gasps. He immediately becomes completely engaged in his mother's situation. He knows what the earthquake was, maybe Crystal's shockwave had allowed his mother to remember! It's a hope that he needs to know more about it.

"It… it was nothing and I don't exactly feel comfortable…" she looks up at Crystal.

Despite her desperation to know what Emma meant, the daughter of the Dark One understands that the poor patient would rather discuss this privately with her son. She nods sympathetically and gets up to go to the other side of the room. However, in secret, she uses the same spell to listen in on their conversation.

"What happened Mom?"

"Were you in school when the earthquake happened?"

"N-Yes."

"Were you okay?"

"I was fine Mom, please," he says impatiently. "Tell me what happened. I promise I won't undo your progress."

While Emma is surprised by her son's remark, considering what he'd said to her the day before, she trusts him and decides to be honest.

"I got this rush of… something… feelings and images. It was really more of hallucinations, like the kind I had back two years ago…"

"Like what?" he pushes her.

Emma swallows very hard. Henry realizes he's going to have to play along with her recovery charade and say things that he truly doesn't believe.

"It's okay Mom… it's all fake, none of it is real…"

Again, the blonde looks surprised at her son. "Really? That's not what you were saying yesterday."

"I… changed my mind. After you telling me that you made so much progress and then seeing Crystal again… I realized that I've been living in a fantasy world. It's not healthy for you or me. I know that it's all fake and… I'm sorry I dragged you into it."

At that moment, Emma embraces her son tightly, tears running down her face. Her body begins to shake from her crying. She cannot believe that her son is apologizing for something that wasn't his fault… not entirely anyway. She loves him so much, and she cannot believe the breakthrough that he's made. This is exactly what she needed to aid in her full recovery. Her body fills with new hope and excitement for the future.

"Oh, Henry!" she says quietly. "It wasn't your fault. It was never your fault. It was my mind that seemed to latch onto this stuff. Maybe because I was overworked or overwhelmed by having you come and find me, but none of this is your fault. Don't ever think that you're the reason that I'm in here and don't bear that burden any longer. I love you Henry and I always will. I'm sorry if I ever made you think this was your fault."

Henry just holds his mother tightly, letting a few tears escape from his eyes and roll down his cheeks. He sniffles a bit thinking about how hard all this has been on her. Even though it wasn't technically real, their love is still there, different, but still there. That can never be changed.

"It's okay Mom… I'm still sorry anyways."

"Don't be, you just helped me a whole lot though. I feel like I can put this morning behind me and I shouldn't be afraid to talk about it."

"Only if you're okay," he says cautiously.

"It wasn't a big deal, I just got these images and feelings of those stupid fantasies. The dragon, the beanstalk, the true love's kiss, a giant spider, singing and dancing… all the Disney crap."

Henry's heart leaps into his throat and his eyes go wide. He cannot believe what he just heard, and neither can Crystal from across the room. The shockwave that she had created… could it have awakened everyone, even for a moment? The possibility that she'd broken through the curtain of the curse for a brief moment, allowing people to remember who they were. The author wants so desperately to try and convince his mother that these weren't hallucinations, but memories, real memories! However, Crystal comes back over to stop him.

"Hey Henry, my phone is dying and I need to call my dad. Do you mind if we cut the visit short and finish it tomorrow? It's really important so I have to go to my hotel room and grab my charger, but I don't want to walk into the city on my own."

His hazel eyes go wide and then he begins to glare at her. They were about to make a breakthrough with his mom and remembering her true self and she's suddenly going to spoil it.

"Good choice," Emma agrees. While this excuse is setting off her superpower again, she'd much rather her son go with a friend than walk home from the hospital on his own, not wanting to repeat what Fiona told her what happened yesterday. She stands up with her son and pulls him into another hug.

"But… but Mom."

"It's okay Kid, go with your friend, you know I'll be here and we can meet tomorrow if you want."

He looks at her in sadness and desperation. She tucks her hands under his chin so he's looking at her.

"It's okay buddy. We won't follow your Mom's rule. If she forbids you from seeing me, then she can go to hell. We're a team you and I, and I will get out of here."

The determined comment and desire to break the rules, this causes Henry's heart to skip a beat. He smiles, seeing more of his real mother shining through.

"We'll call it Operation Cuckoo's Nest," he says with an unwavering smile.

Emma smiles as well. She then turns to Henry's friend. Emma was merely going for a friendly handshake, but instead, Crystal pulls her into a long hug.

"Don't give up Emma," she whispers, holding her surrogate sister tightly. "You're stronger than you realize."

When they break apart, she continues. "I'm sorry I'm cutting your visit short, but family is important no matter what isn't it?"

"Yes…" Emma says. "It is."

"It was nice to meet you, Emma," Crystal says, turning to leave with Henry. Many thoughts swirling in her mind.

"You too," the blonde says skeptically.

As the two are leaving, Crystal notices that a nurse is bringing pills and water to Emma. Just as they walk out of the room, the daughter of the Dark One waves her hand, making the pills, if they truly had an impact on Emma's mental state, completely useless. A placebo that can further their Operation Cuckoo's Nest.

 _A/N: Sorry if it's been a while. Hope you enjoy the chapter._


	38. Chapter 37: Discovery at Home Base

Chapter 37: Discovery at Home Base

"Crystal slow down!" Henry shouts as the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin has not let go of his wrist since they left the asylum. She continues to guide him down the streets, further and further from the hospital and back towards the outer parts of the city where Storybrooke was situated. His mind is reeling with various questions as to why she's suddenly acting this way, but the most important one is why she insisted they leave just as he was about to make a break-through with his mom remembering something important. He tries to grab at her hand to make her release his arm, but when that doesn't work, he finally plants his feet and resists her going any further.

"Henry let's go we don't have a lot of time," she says, trying to pull at his arm. The two were evenly matched when it came to strength, so it becomes a painful tug-of-war between the two fight over what direction they are going.

"No, we're not going anywhere until you explained what the hell happened in there!" he says firmly. "Why did you stop me from talking to my mom?"

Despite the urgency of her quest, Crystal sighs, knowing that she owes her brother some kind of explanation for why she cut the visit short.

"Fine, but not here."

The two duck into a small alleyway between two buildings. They check to make sure that there are no freaks or other creeps who might be lurking behind the dumpster or under a pile of newspapers, eavesdropping on their conversation. What they would be talking about could be considered insane or crazy to the average bystander, and the last thing they needed was to be locked in the asylum themselves for believing in curses, fairies, and magic.

"Why did you cut me off?! My mom was telling me about images she had in her mind. Her real memories!"

"I know and that's why I had to stop you."

"WHY!?"

"Because I knew the second that she mentioned true love or remembering her real life you'd start telling her that everything was real, and I was afraid you'd send her into a spiral again."

"I wouldn't do that!"

"I know you wouldn't mean to do that to her, but Henry, as someone who struggles with their own demons every day, the last thing we need is to be reminded of the things we're trying to avoid. It just makes things worse for everyone involved."

"But those are her real memories!"

"Not according to her. She still believes that she's the bail bonds person from Boston whose parents abandoned her on the side of a highway, who got pregnant and went to jail, who's son came to find her and convinced her to believe in fairy tales, causing her to have a mental break down. She still believes she is sick, and all those memories are mere delusions. We may know the truth but trying to convince her is just going to make it worse right now. It's like trying to convince someone that the world is flat or to convince someone that _The Shining_ is not a metaphor for faking the moon landing. Remember how tough it was for you to avoid being persuaded by Regina that your beliefs were false? Or how long it took for you to convince Emma that the stories you were telling her were real and what you had to do to make her believe? It's because you're going against what other people already believe is the truth and it causes internal conflict, upsetting the norm, and makes it more difficult to create a change. The more you insist that something is true, the more pushback and conflict you'll get from the other party."

"So, you're saying I should say anything to my mom about her real life and her real family?" he snaps.

"Just for right now. Henry, we're just trying to get her out of there and you bringing up Captain Hook or the curse or the fact that she's the Saviour, it's not going to help our cause. And the longer you keep preaching it, the harder it will be to convince her of anything in the future. I know you want the old Emma back, so do I, but sometimes we have to go along with it in order to make a change."

"But if we don't convince her now, then she's going to go back to Boston and then we'll all be at the mercy of the Black Fairy."

Crystal flinches as she knows what Henry says is very accurate. "Just try not to think about that right now. The first thing we need to do is to accept **her** truth and help her believe that she'll be healthy enough to be released soon. Archie might not want her to go to Boston right away anyway, he'll probably want to monitor her in the city for a while first before allowing her to go anywhere. It's during this time that we can begin to make her change."

"How?"

"By finding our family and bringing them back into her life. That might be a good place to start."

"But we don't even know where everyone is," Henry points out. "We barely know where we are."

"Which is why we need a home base first," she says, with a glint of mischief in her eye.

The daughter of the Dark One then teleports the two of them away.

…

The two of them reappear in a clearing deep in the forest, Henry blinks in confusion and looks around them. They seem to be in a forest outside of Storybrooke, with trees as tall as buildings reaching upwards towards the graying sky. He wonders if their inability to see the sun is part of the dark curse, keeping the atmosphere of doom and gloom constantly present over their heads.

"A warning would be helpful next time," he says. He sometimes hated how Crystal would do magic impulsively, one could assume that it came from her father.

"Sorry," she says.

"So, where's the home base?"

"Right in front of you," she says before waving her hand and lifting the cloaking spell she'd cast.

Suddenly the two of them are standing in front of a tall wrought iron gate with matching tall black bars surrounding the entire property. Several tall pine trees also hide the front doors from their view, but the greenery reaches forward to create an almost overhead arch above them. Crystal pushes open the gate and the two of them walk up the long in-laid stone pathway. As they get closer to the entrance, to their left is a long gravel pathway that leads in behind the large mansion and to their right is a large green garden filled with shrubs and other plants on either side of the stone pathway leading to the mansion. They climb several steps to the mansion that is painted brown and white to be aesthetically pleasing and to look rustic in the forest. It looked to be about three storeys tall, with a slanted roof that met at two specific points. Underneath the two points in the roof, there were two large windows that would give a beautiful view into the Maine woodland. There was even a balcony just below their heads as they reach the large porch that wrapped around one side of the mansion, likely leading into the back gardens of the property.

Crystal grasps the fancy ornate handles, no longer having to worry about it being hexed with dark magic. The tall oak doors let out a low creak as the two enter the building. The front hall also has a large sloping arch to it and it was the entrance to the elegant but dusty foyer, where the chandelier covered in spider webs hung above them. Crystal had been in such a hurry to find Phillip, she had not taken the opportunity to admire the elegance and natural beauty of the mansion. She can see the large carpeted staircase that she had taken to fins Phillip and to her left, she sees a pair of white French doors. She opens them, and they lead to a large dining room, with another chandelier hanging above the covered table and chairs. An old looking china-cabinet sat on one wall to the left and opposite to the French doors was a series of large windows that looked out onto the forest floor. To her right, was the entrance to the kitchen.

The kitchen looks fully furnished, with an old looking kitchen island in the centre of the room, pots and pans hanging over said island, an ornate looking sink and an older looking stove. It's covered in a very thick layer of dust and she thinks rats might be living in the oven part, but that's nothing a little magic can't fix. At least it wasn't a cast iron stove. There's a walk-in pantry, a wine rack on the back wall and a two-doored refrigerator, which is not humming as one might expect it to be, considering it was an abandoned mansion. She checks the drawers under the sink and knows she's going to have to stock them with the essential utensils. Next to the sink are a row of cabinets, all painted white to match the aesthetic of the house and have French windows in them just like the doors to the dining room. They contain old antique looking dishes and one cabinet is completely dedicated to wine glasses. It will need a little TLC, but soon this kitchen will be like any other, containing the comforting smells of home.

As the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin explores the eatery, Henry moves further into the foyer, finding a door made of oak in the far corner. He pushes it open to discover a large lending library, covered in dust and cobwebs, with several chairs covered in dust cloths in front of a large stone fireplace. There are shelves and shelves of books that reach up towards the ceiling, it's so high in fact that the room requires a ladder to reach the top bookshelves. Curiosity getting the better of him, he goes up to the nearest bookshelf and removes a thick volume from it. It's covered in a thick layer of dust and he wipes it with his hand to discover _Hans Christian Andersen_ written in gold cursive lettering across the top. He flips through the book, ignores the mounds of dust flying into his face as he does so and finds all the author's stories within the pages. Even more curious, Henry takes another book down, this one says _Charles Dickens Volume I_. He goes along the line of shelves, each volume contains stories by famous authors, from the Brother's Grimm to Harper Lee. From Jane Eyre to Ernest Hemmingway. From Shakespeare to even Stephen King. It's like the library was made just for him as he is an author himself. He's so mesmerized by this discovery that he doesn't hear Crystal approach.

"Henry?" she asks.

He turns to find her eating from a jar of pickles with a fork.

"Lot of pickled things in the pantry, want some?" she offers a pickle on a fork.

He wrinkles his nose. "Pass, who knows how long they've been sitting there."

"Probably not long, this place was probably put here by the curse less than three days ago."

"I don't think so," Henry says. He continues to look at the books on the shelves in pure awe. "I think this place might've come over with the first curse. It's not the Sorcerer's Mansion, nor is it Jefferson's."

"How could there be a mansion that none of us ever knew about. How long has Storybrooke been here?" She examines the pickles for an expiration date, but when she doesn't see any she shrugs and keeps eating them.

"I guess magic works in mysterious ways. We didn't even know about the Sorcerer's mansion until Grandpa Rumpel found it for him and Belle's honeymoon." He starts to wonder if this place was like an Author's mansion if that was even possible.

"Speaking of Belle, I think we should try to find her first."

"Why?"

"Because if my dad sees her, he might change sides and try to help us. You know his weakness is her. He'd do anything to protect her." There is a sad tone to these words and Crystal sighs heavily, wishing that her father would do anything for his children as well. It just seems that sometimes he doesn't care enough to sacrifice anything and everything for her or Gideon. It makes her stomach turn, or maybe it's the pickles. She places them on a nearby table that holds a reading lamp on it.

"But how are we going to find her?"

Crystal removes the _Her Handsome Hero_ book from her jean jacket pocket, which she and Henry had swiped from her father's shop.

"I still have some locator potion from when I found Phillip. Let's fix this place up and then go looking for our family."

 _A/N: The pickles thing makes me smile, add a little bit of humour to the situation. New discoveries to be made._


	39. Chapter 38: Home Improvement

Chapter 38: Home Improvement

"Time for a bit of a makeover," Crystal says with great satisfaction. Her hands flicker and glow eagerly with magic, the good kind of magic. She was excited to make this place more of a home, preparing to make it as comfortable as possible for both of them for how ever long this curse might last. The two climb the red carpet stairs to the second floor. "You can have any room you want Henry; how do you like me to decorate it?"

"I want it like at my mom's house," he answers. He looks down at his feet and then back up, feeling like a little kid again. Despite how much he'd hated being in the house with the Evil Queen, it was his home. It was the room he'd grown up in and while he moved around from the Mill's house to the Blanchard loft, to Emma's house depending on where he decided to sleep, the one in the mayor's mansion still had a special place in his heart. He can remember spending many nights reading his fairy tale book under the covers with a flashlight after Regina thought he'd gone to sleep. He can remember all the times he'd used the tree outside his window to sneak out or to be comforted by the soft glow of his favourite night light as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Which Mom?"

"Regina."

"I haven't seen it in a while, you may have to describe it for me," she says, biting her lip as the two roamed around the second floor. Eventually, Henry finds a room that he'd like, further to the back of the mansion, away from all the noise and chaos of the front hall, but it had the bathroom right next door.

"I'll do my best," he says, but even he wasn't sure if he could do that.

"Or maybe…" she ponders, thinking about another solution.

"Or maybe what?"

"Let me try something," she says. She conjures up a dreamcatcher. Immediately, Henry steps away.

"No way!" he says remembering the last time someone used a dreamcatcher on him.

"Relax, I'm not going to steal your memories, I just need to see your room in order to make it the way you want. I need a visual reference."

The young author still hesitates. "I don't know…"

"I promised I won't store anything in them. Besides, my dad taught me how to use them properly."

"Your dad, well excuse me while I jump right into it."

"Henry, I just need one memory of your room, it doesn't have to be a good one, I just need something you won't miss for a couple of minutes and I swear that I will put it back."

After a long moment, the teenager sighs.

"Fine," he sighs, figuring it was just better to get this over with.

Crystal waves her hand over the delicate circle and it immediately begins to glow with bright yellow light. A beam of light connects to Henry's head and an image of memory slowly begins to appear. Soon, a clear picture forms and it begins to move, in front of Henry is his mother and she is smiling at him before using her purple magic to create a very large cupcake with rainbow icing on top for him. It looks like a bribe, but the daughter of the Dark One doesn't really care about the context, she just needs to see his room. It obviously wasn't one of his fondest memories with Regina if he was willingly giving it to her.

Once the connection is broken, the adult with magic holds the dreamcatcher up and then gazes at the empty room that had dust cloths over the bed and dresser, an old rocking chair sitting by the window, and some kind of strange paper machine in the corner. She then smiles.

Crystal uses her magic and waves it over the room that her brother had chosen. Almost instantly, the dusty room is transformed. The walls become covered in striped wallpaper and a bed with the exact wooden headboard that once resided in the Mill's house appears against the wall close to the door. However, Crystal still decides to give Henry a queen-sized bed, one luxury she can give him that he received in the penthouse, but it is still covered in his favourite patterned blue sheets. Bigger versions of his blue curtains droop down from both windows that overlook the garden and she puts a heavy oak bookcase next to the door with a globe and clock on top of it, and she adds comic books to the shelves; Henry told her he'd add some of the books from the library onto them as well. His favourite desk with many shelves above it and his vanity, both made of mahogany, are put into position, with various pictures of their real family and notes from various people, including Violet, are stuck beside the vanity mirror. Clocks, pieces of art, posters, a cuckoo clock made by Marco, and other miscellaneous components that appear in the dreamcatcher poof onto the walls. Henry's dresser materializes next to his bed along with his favourite "magic lamp" that showed various shapes, including ducklings, flowers, and a swan. While she cannot change the general structure of the house of where his closets are, she still makes sure that there is a mirror on the door and more pieces of his artwork from school are there. The last touches Crystal makes to the room is Henry's solar system that hangs above his vanity and a little model airplane that hung near his dresser. The only things that remained from the old room are the weird paper machine and the rocking chair, which Crystal decides might be useful for herself.

Once the room is complete, Crystal immediately goes back and transfers the memory back to Henry. He blinks a few times as it reappears into his head, but once the dreamcatcher stops glowing yellow, he lets out a sigh of relief, happy to have all his memories intact.

"What do you think?" she asks.

Henry swallows a large lump in his throat and does his best to fight back the tears in his eyes. He steps forward into the room and can't help but smile. It's like stepping back into his real home, his real life. He clings tightly to his storybook and slowly sits down on the bed.

Crystal realizes that he's going to need some space, so she goes to select her own room.

Henry rubs his hand against the bedspread and lays back, staring at the ceiling. He feels immense comfort to be back in his old room, despite it not being in his real house. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do until the curse was broken.

…

Meanwhile, Crystal selects her own room, the one next to where she'd found Phillip. Like Henry's, the room was filled with dust, old furniture covered in cloths, and a fireplace. Deciding to keep the fireplace, she lets her hands light up, eager to make the place her own.

In a flash of light, the room is clean with a fresh coat of white/creamy paint on the walls. It's empty now, except for the rocking chair, which she puts by the window and paints it to a shade of white to match the room. She decides to go with a modern theme like her apartment in New York. Her queen-sized bed appears in the corner away from the windows, she decides to add a white canopy over the top of it, something she'd always wanted in her room. She conjures up a crystal glass nightstand to go next to the bed, with a clock radio and white reading lamp on it. She puts two cream-coloured white rugs on the floors, one by the fireplace and one by the windows. White curtains materialize on either side of the windows, a bulletin board behind her bed where she could hang pictures, a piece of modern art above the fireplace, a crystal ornament to hang above her bed. She makes a bookshelf appear next to one of the windows and she places two cream coloured bean bag chairs in front of the said shelf on one of the rugs and a circular chair in the corner next to the closet doors. She puts a white desk on the other side of the closet and puts a full-length mirror on the back of her door.

Finally, she polishes the hardwood floors until they shone, and she puts a small fire in the fireplace. It finally looked like a place that she could live in. It matched her namesake and like Henry, it felt like home to her.

She puts her hand to hold her necklaces, but she stops short. She can feel her mother's locket, but her crystal blue one… all she feels is the chain. Her heart drops into her stomach as she looks around her feet in fear. The blue heart pendant! It meant so much to her! A gift from her mother for her first birthday; the necklace that matched her namesake. She begins searching the house frantically, everywhere that she had been, looking for the pendant. Tears fill her eyes as there is no sign of the heart. Henry hears her going all around the house and walks to the top of the stairs to investigate.

"What's wrong?"

"My…my heart pendant, the blue one, it's gone!"

"Gone?! What do you mean gone? When was the last time you had it?"

"I don't know!" she pants, trying not to completely flip out. "I just always assumed it was around my neck."

"Do you think it fell out in the penthouse?" he suggests.

"I don't know, it could be anywhere, even at _Granny's_ … or hell even in my car!"

"We'll find it, don't worry," he says, coming down the stairs. He engulfs her in another hug. "You helped me get something back that means a lot to me, and I will do the same for you. But we'll have to look in the penthouse tomorrow, no doubt the Black Fairy and my duplicate are home by now."

"But what if she finds it…?"

"She won't," Henry says rationally. "Even if she did, she probably wouldn't care. But let's focus on finishing the house and finding Belle."

"Okay," Crystal sighs, wishing she could just poof off to the penthouse in the city to find it, but obviously finding her step-mother, the one who had actually saved her from the curse, was much more important. Her crystal heart could wait.

…

Once the house has been fixed up with magic, Henry grabs _Her Handsome Hero_ and Crystal removes the locator potion; which she had absent-mindedly put in her jean jacket pocket yesterday after searching for Phillip. She ignores the cuffs that are still in there, and the two prepare for their new rescue mission. They are not sure of what to expect so they pack some food and water, the sword that from the penthouse, the storybook, and flashlights. They had both agreed to do this now when it was dark where they were less likely to be seen and/or people would be too drunk to notice a floating book. If the magic were to be seen, Crystal would use a cloaking spell and she'd use her special vision to still follow the floating book.

The two of them stand outside with the potion.

"Ready?" she asks.

"Ready," he nods.

He opens the potion vial and dumps the rest of the locator potion on the book. Almost instantly, the tattered volume springs to life and begins to float down the stone path, through the wrought iron gate and into the woods.

The two heroes do their best to keep up, running after their chance of finding Belle. As they go, both wonder what the curse had done to the beloved bookworm. Was she homeless? A streetwalker? A gang member? Was she in jail? Working in a bar? Many questions swirled around them as they began to go into the rotting town of Storybrooke. They hurry along the sidewalks, keeping their eyes peeled for either Belle or someone who might spot them. They go past the clock tower and continue through the quiet, barely lit streets of their beloved town.

Eventually, the book leads them up towards the Storybrooke General Hospital, which seemed to be struggling to remain open. There were some lights on inside, but the whole place just seemed to be falling apart. The book hovers at the front doors until Crystal opens them. She peeks inside the dimly lit hallway, there doesn't seem to be anyone around, so the two continue to follow the book.

It floats down the tomb-like hallways, weaving around corners; Henry was afraid that someone might be around the corner and catch them and the book in here. It stops at a door that had a keypad in front of it. Henry immediately recognizes this door and where it went, downstairs into the basement. They were going down into the mental ward where his mom once kept some of Storybrooke's most dangerous villains, including Sidney Glass and his Aunt Zelena.

"Looks like Grandma pulled an Evil Queen and put Belle in the Cuckoo's Nest too," Crystal says as she waves her magic over the keypad, allowing them access into the belly of the beast.

 _Please follow and review._


	40. Chapter 39: Battling Inner Demons

Chapter 39: Battling Inner Demons

 _I must escape_ , Jane Doe thinks to herself as she sits in her cell. She stares at the thick concrete walls surrounding her. While they were supposed to make her feel safe, there is still that feeling in the back of her mind… that this place was more dangerous than the outside world. She also can't shake that rush of energy she'd felt a couple of days ago. It was like it gave her some strength and some hope that she could discover her identity again. She wanted desperately to fight for a way out…

However, the moment she stands up, she loses her nerve as she had been conditioned to do so by her captors. Her knees buckle and she sits back on the bed, her breathing becoming uneven and irregular. She was supposed to fear the world outside her cell; there were people out there who wanted her dead or to take advantage of her…

 _The world is a very scary place_ , the thoughts fill her mind. _So many ways to lose your skin… the number of ways you can die is infinite…._

All those terrible thoughts come rushing back into her mind, even though she doesn't want them to.

 _There is no one out there who loves you…_

She feels the tears burn in her eyes as her entire body trembles erratically with that fear that HIM and Fiona have instilled in her mind. She wants to fight it, but the dread and distress continue to take over her body. She lays down on the creaky bed and turns away from the door, trying to bring her breathing under control. She closes her eyes and tries to recapture that feeling the earthquake had given her. She wanted those images back in her mind, they gave her true comfort and for the first time in a long time relieved the twisted knot in her stomach. Those things had to have been memories of her real-life; that man with the long hair and brown eyes. His soft voice as he spoke to her and the smile he wore as the two of them danced in very fancy clothing. And the baby… the sweet, innocent face that had laid in her arms, no matter how briefly. She felt great love towards this strange child and somehow, she just knew, deep inside that, he was her son… Those two people… they had to be her family… they had to be…

Her shaky hands clench into fists and her teeth bite her lip to the point where it could draw blood. She had to find these people… she didn't know why she'd passed out when she'd confronted Fiona about it several days ago, but she wanted her freedom.

Deciding that what she could not see would not make her lose her nerve, she stands up with her eyes closed. She stamps her barefoot on the concrete floor.

"I want to see Fiona!" she shouts with all the courage she can manage, keeping the faces of those two people in her mind.

At first, there is no response. Maybe HIM could not hear her or he was ignoring her demands. Her stomach did turn at the thought of the brute captor banging on her door again, but as long as those faces stayed in her mind, she'd be fine.

Slowly, she opens her eyes just enough to navigate to the cell door. There was the tiny slot that food was delivered through and some air holes at the top of the heavy, steel-reinforced door, but Jane opens the slot and shouts out at HIM.

"I want to see Fiona!" she screams out into the black hallway.

There is a pause as her unusually strong voice echoes within… wherever this prison was.

"Do you hear me?! I want to see her now?!"

Eventually, heavy boots can be heard coming down the hall. They were all too familiar to Jane Doe, and she swallows hard. She can't be afraid.

"What do you want Freak?" his deep voice asks in great annoyance. Through the slot, Jane/Belle can barely see the large chest and torso of HIM. Her hand quivers slightly as she holds the metal piece separating her from this brute.

"I… I want to see Fiona!"

"Why the hell do you want that?"

"Because I want my freedom. You have no right to keep me in here. This is illegal and it's cruelty."

"And who's going to know this?" HIM says, his voice almost chuckling at the poor attempt at courage Jane was showing. He leans down and Jane takes a step back in fright when she sees his dark eyes. They were very dark, almost pitch black in the light of her cell. There doesn't even seem to be pupils in his irises. They seem to glow in delight and glee.

Her heart pounds against her chest in fear and the frail prisoner fights back her tears. She replaces that fear again with the soft brown eyes of the baby boy and the man she danced with her. Shuts her eyes, sucks in a deep breath.

"You can't keep me as a prisoner forever!"

"It seems to have been working for the past fourteen years," HIM laughs into the metal slot, knowing Jane would crumble into submission like before. While she'd been quiet for a day or so, Fiona had warned HIM about the meek girl's pathetic attempts to fight might flare up again and he could fight back any way he chose, much to his sadistic delight.

Deciding reasoning was done, Jane tears her eyes away from the slot and begins beating her fists against the metal door, making as much noise as she could. She screams at the top of her lungs.

"PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP! HELP! I'M BEING HELD PRISONER!"

HIM whacks the steel door with his nightstick/club, which is ten times louder than Jane's feeble pounding with her tiny fists. She backs off in fear of the loud noise. Her breathing begins to quicken, and her knees shake. She leans down on the floor to gather herself. This noise cannot scare her any longer, she has to fight no matter what. HIM watches her, happy that he'd gotten her to shut up.

"I don't know why you're bothering to scream for help," HIM says with a smirk on his face. "You in a concrete block, more than six feet underground, with nothing but a slot to be given food through. No one is ever going to hear you."

"Why am I here? What did I do?" she weeps. She stands up again and forces her body against the door with all her strength, ignoring the pain and banging her fists against the course metal, her only way of escaping.

"Mayor Blackwell doesn't want your craziness to spread to the other people of the city."

"She's no mayor if she keeps people locked up like rats!" Jane/Belle shouts back. She continues to pound at the door, trying with all her might to do something. The thoughts of those strange faces giving her the power to continue.

Surprised that she had actually got back up, it was time to try something new. Figuring he was now allowed to kick things up a notch, HIM disappears back down the hall to his office. He then comes back with his portable boom box. He slips in a disc that should be considered pure torture to such frail minds like this little freak, especially at full volume

He bangs his nightstick against the metal door, creating the loud echo that frightened Jane. She crumpled onto one knee against the door, waiting for the echo to ceases. She keeps those images in her mind, begging them to make her strong.

"Little Miss Jane, said in gain, all about her pain…" HIM sings in a taunting voice. "Face it, Princess, you're just a nobody. You don't have any family or friends, you're just a nameless psycho in the nuthouse. No one ever will find you and they sure as hell don't love you."

"NO!" she shouts out, standing up again. She pounds even harder, not caring if her fists bleed. She had to escape, none of this was fair, she was not a psycho and she was not unloved.

"Okay Princess, you asked for it," he smirks.

He begins to play _You are Alone_ by the Flaming Lips at full volume. The intense psychedelic sound echoes off the walls, creating a pulsing feeling in the back of her head that creates an intense agony. "Jane" collapses to the floor against the door, hands pressed tightly over her ears to try and drown out the torturous and amplified sound. Tears stream down her face as she tries ignoring the strange melodic tones that seemed to make the whole cell vibrate with its sound. However, to add more torment to her current mental state, HIM begins hammering the metal door with his nightstick, feeding into her fear to the point where she has no sense of pain or fear or anything anymore.

 _You're not alone_

 _You are alone_

 _Oh oh_

 _Oh oh_

 _Oh oh_

 _Oh oh_

 _Oh oh_

 _Oh oh_

 _Oh oh_

 _I'm not alone_

 _You are alone_

 _You're not alone_

 _You are alone_

"HELP!" Jane Doe screams out of desperation. "SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!"

At that moment, as if fate had heard her pleas for mercy, the book _Her Handsome Hero_ turns the corner into the basement ward of the hospital, but fortunately, HIM does not see it as he's too busy tormenting Jane to notice the display of magic coming towards him. As the book floats towards the cell where Jane/Belle is weeping in fear, Crystal and Henry follow the chaotic sounds. They pass many more steel doors that could very well hold more of their family, but right now, they had to find Belle. Both are confused by this racket but when they notice the book land in front of the steel door where a man is practically denting it with his nightstick/club and the music is blasting so loudly it could shake anyone's fillings loose.

Crystal prepares herself for a fight, not caring if this guy sees magic or not if he's torturing her step-mother like this, he deserves to die of a heart attack at this point. She removes the sword from the backpack and hands it to Henry so he too could be armed.

"HEY DOUCHEBAG!" Crystal shouts over the music. She launches a fireball at the boombox, which causes it to practically explode at this guy's feet and send the entire place into silence. He steps back in pure horror at the two people confronting him. He has no idea why his boombox exploded, but one of the intruders is holding a sword. He steps away from the door. She lets her hands glow a dark purple.

"What the hell are you doing? You're not supposed to be down here?!" HIM shouts angrily, finally stopping his torment of poor Jane Doe.

"Sucks for you," Henry shouts. "Leave my Grandma alone!" He drops the sword to the ground and pushes forward tackling the guard to the ground, even though the man is much bigger than the teenager. But Henry, who is full of adrenaline and anger is able to take the brute by surprise and pin him down. He then punches the man across the face as an act of revenge for tormenting a member of his family.

HIM feels the blinding pain in his center and his head hits the concrete floor, sending him into blackness. He doesn't even feel the full impact of Henry's punch, which will no doubt give the man a black eye.

Crystal then approaches Henry, putting her hand on his shoulder to prevent him from doing more damage. Like he was her voice of reason for her darkness, she would be the same for his anger. Satisfied, the teenager stands up and both people approach the door. Henry picks up _Her Handsome Hero_ , and Crystal can hear the faint sounds of sobbing on the other side.

"Stand back," Crystal says. She allows sparks to emit from her fingertips, which fries the circuit of the holding cell.

There is a deep buzz and the doors swings open automatically.

The frail and frightened woman collapses into both Crystal and Henry's arms. They barely manage to catch her as she falls. It scares both of them of how thin Belle is, that it isn't hard to pull her to her feet, but even then, her knees shake and buckle from malnutrition and stress.

"Belle?!" Henry gasps.

"Who is Belle?" the woman whimpers. "Who are you?"

It breaks Crystal's heart to see her step-mother completely ruined like this. Henry is equally horrified. A shaking quivering mess of a human being and her face is as haunted as a house from a Scooby-Doo cartoon. The colouring of her face matches the dirty hospital robe she's been forced to wear. Her hair is a matted mess of sweat and grime, her face is stained with tears and some have even pooled in the heavy sunken bags under her eyes.

"We're friends," Crystal says, gently. "We're here to help you."

"Friends?" Belle says weakly, her entire body shakes and her stick-thin arms can barely hold onto those people who are trying to keep her on her feet.

"We're here to get you out," Henry says. "You're safe now…"

However, those words suddenly become redundant as the once unconscious guard finally comes to, but his body begins to shake randomly. His rancorous laughter begins to echo against the walls, becoming deeper and more demonic with each passing moment. All three people stare in horror as the shape of HIM begins to contort and warp into something else. Two large bat-like wings sprout out the man's back, his fingers and feet elongate into claw-like appendages, his eyes begin to glow a dark red, and his clothes tear to shreds as this new form appears, much to the shock of everyone else.

"I think…" Henry gasps.

The demonic laughter changes into a deep and menacing snarl, completely inhuman as the creature gets to its feet before it's long bat-like wings spread out and flap downwards, allowing this shape to take flight.

"Should have thought Grandma would have some minions from the Dark Realm," Crystal hisses.

In the light of Belle's cell, the group can see that HIM now has a long, horse-shaped face with glowing red eyes, long teeth that protrude from the jaw, a thick, muscular body with gray/black scales for skin; the claws on his former hands and feet open and close like a bird's talons. He's something out of a horrendous nightmare, the closest thing to a demon any of them had ever seen, besides Rumpelstiltskin and Chernabog.

The HIM creature was Chernabog's uglier cousin, as he hovers above them with his wings flapping. He lets out another inhuman sound, like a high-pitched snarl of nails on a chalkboard, mixed with a dinosaur's roar, which is the closest thing either of the sane individuals can figure.

"Looks like _Gargoyles_ is in for a gritty reboot," Crystal says. Her hands light up with fireballs and she launches them at this thing.

However, the creature uses its wings to create some sort of protective shield around itself, deflecting the balls of heat. One forces Henry to dive out of the way and one singes Crystal's arm.

Biting through the pain, the two individuals with enough strength to fight, stand up as the creature plunges after them. Thinking quickly, Henry shoves Belle out of the way and Crystal creates a protective shield around him before the thing can sink its claws into the author's flesh.

"Hey freakshow!" she shouts, her hands glowing a dark purple. The creature's head turns at almost 180 degrees from on top of the shield protecting Henry. "Want to taste real darkness?!"

The creature lets out another roar and jumps from the protective shield towards the girl. She lets out a blast of magic while the creature is in flight, meaning it has no time to use its wings to protect itself. It crashes against the concrete wall, no doubt through it with the sheer amount of dark power the daughter of the Dark One was emanating.

"Let's go!" Crystal says as she tries to get back to Henry and Belle. "We have to get out of here!"

Henry scrambles to his feet as he and reaches over, trying to grab Belle and get her to her feet so they can all escape. However, before either of the two rescuers can reach the crumpled figure of Belle, who is frightened and extremely shaken, HIM launches itself forward, knocking Henry back with its wing and he lands on Crystal, basically disarming both of them; its claws spread out, ready to kill the weakest of the group. Belle/Jane only manages to scream over the creature as it roars and descends on her.

"NO! BELLE!" Henry screams as the creature's wings cover the horrific scene.

"BELLE!" Crystal screams out. She'll never be able to forgive herself… her father will now hate her, letting his wife and the mother of his son die. Her heart drops to her stomach as she tries to get up and heal the wounded Belle.

Both Henry and Crystal have tears in their eyes as they no longer see any movement over the darkened mass. The creature's wings conceal whatever it did to the helpless victim. Its purpose must have been to never let the patient escape with her life.

The room is dead quiet, and heartbreak passes through the two failed rescuers. Maybe if they broke the curse all the damage would be undone, like with Isaac's alternate universe did with Killian's death. The two begin to sob on the floor until they hear movement in the shapeless mass.

They brace themselves for a new battle against the creature, but instead of the inhuman roar, a whimpering sound is heard.

Something crawls out from under the wings of the demonic HIM, and to everyone's amazement, it's Belle. She's covered in the creature's dark black looking blood and she drags the sword that Henry had dropped earlier. No doubt that she had grabbed it for protection and HIM basically impaled itself on the blade.

Belle slowly gets to her feet and stands there, the sword in her hands, now covered in blood. Her eyes even more haunted than before, completely unable to comprehend what has just happened. She looks at both Crystal and Henry, a small smile crosses her face at defeating this demon before she collapses to the ground in exhaustion.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Crystal says. She and Henry gather around Belle, and he makes sure to grab the sword and the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin poofs them out of the prison, leaving the cursed creature's corpse and the destroyed boombox to be found by a very angry fairy.

 _A/N: Battling Inner Demons, literally and figuratively. Belle is now safe so you can all breathe a little easier. Credit to Flaming Lips and The Gothic Archies for their lyrics. Please follow and review._


	41. Chapter 40: Trust Us

Chapter 40: Trust Us

The now group of three just appear in the living room before both Crystal and Henry laid the unconscious Belle onto the couch. Crystal had gone to get some supplies, while the author stayed by his step-grandmother's side, holding her hand, trying to give her comfort as she lay unconscious on the couch. He can't help but feel some relief that they have rescued someone they love from being tortured forever, but at the same time, he feels anger that his great-grandmother was doing this to Belle. He could not believe that his grandfather Rumpelstiltskin actually believed that his mother would allow him to live out that happily ever after. The Black Fairy was sadistic and took away one of the few things that the Dark One truly cared about, likely to make him suffer and torture the victim at the same time… the bookworm didn't even know her own name, it's how sadistic this fairy truly was. She didn't care about her son Rumpelstiltskin at all; she just wanted to be as cruel and as sadistic as she could, tormenting every soul that once resided in Storybrooke, making their eternal existence a living hell. He looks at the sunken, pale, and exhausted face of Belle. She's dressed in a dirty hospital robe, her hair limp and wildly tangles, and her entire body bruised and bone-thin…Clearly, the former beauty had been at the receiving end of some of the fairy's worst cruelty; imprisoned just like his own mother, beaten, and battered to the point when they are unrecognizable and don't really seem to have an identity anymore. She was even being tormented by a demonic being from the Dark Realm, taking pleasure in making her scream. All these thoughts cause Henry's stomach to twist very tightly and try to hide the tears of anger and anguish in his eyes.

When the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin returns, she had a blanket, a pillow, a glass of water, a bowl of warm water, a few cloths, a hairbrush, a change of fresh clothes, a first aid kit, and a few pills of aspirin because no doubt she was going to have a headache once she awakened. She hands a few objects from the supplies to her surrogate brother and lays the rest on the now shiny hardwood floors.

"So, how do you think we should introduce ourselves?" Henry asks, placing the pillow behind Belle's head and wrapping the blanket around her deathly thin and scared body.

"Not entirely sure," Crystal answers as she begins soaking the cloths in the warm water. She then slowly begins wiping away the splatters of black blood and layers of grime from her face. Belle reacts a bit from the warm water by turning away, but Crystal continues cleaning up her step-mother. She knows she can't do anything about the blood on her clothes until she wakes, but the poor woman needed to be cleaned up in some way. The only part of her face that was relatively clean was beneath her eyes, which of course is where the beauty had been crying. "It's clear that the curse took her memories so the idea that I'm her step-daughter and you're her grandson would be hard to swallow and understand. I think we should hold off on the family thing for just a little while until she trusts us."

"I wish there was a way that we could get her to remember," Henry says.

"I know," she says understandingly.

"I just want our family back. It's getting pretty annoying about having to introduce ourselves to people we've known either our entire lives or for a long time."

"At least we found each other," Crystal says, deciding to try and be optimistic for a little while. "Otherwise all this would be ten times worse."

"Yeah, sometimes it feels like we're fighting the Final Battle," Henry says.

"Well it would make sense, at this point, we're in much better shape to do so compared to your mother."

"Or Belle," Henry nods.

"I can't believe Fiona would be this ruthless… then again, it shouldn't surprise us…"

"She is the source of all darkness."

"And apparently, she brought a few of her minions with her from the Dark Realm," Crystal shudders, finally finishing cleaning Belle's face and arms.

"At least there was still some fight left in her to hold the sword up and kill that thing," Henry says.

"Guess that instinct to fight and survive never goes away."

"So, how are we going to jog her memory?" he asks.

"Bring her to my dad I guess, or show her the book _Her Handsome Hero_ , or find the chipped teacup. Any of those things might spark something in either of them."

"I'm not sure if I'm ready to let Grandpa remember everything yet," the author says hesitantly.

"I feel the same, after all, he did get us into this mess in the first place."

"Only to save Gideon and his family…" Henry points out.

"And how'd that work out for him?" she mutters, biting her lip aggressively. "And where is it written that suddenly I'm not part of the family…?"

"I guess he thought that since you were out of town, you'd be safe and out of harm's way," Henry suggests.

The teenager goes over and hugs her tightly, giving her the comfort she needs. She returns the hug.

"Plus, you've always been able to take care of yourself," he adds.

"I guess you're right. So, tell me about Gideon, what's he like during the curse?"

The name seems to spark something, pulling Belle/Jane from her unconscious state. That name was so familiar… why was that? It was a noble name…

"Gideon?" she murmurs.

Both Henry and Crystal jump up immediately when they see Belle beginning to stir on the couch. She blinks several times, her eyes trying to adjust to the light and tries to sit up against this strange new bed that has a new pillow and a blanket.

"Belle," Henry says. "You're awake!"

"Belle?" she says in confusion. "That's not my…"

At that moment, like being hit by a truck, all the memories of what had just happened come flooding back. The sheer terror she felt, the anger, the agony, the sadness. HIM and the winged creature with red eyes. All these feelings send her heartbeat into overdrive and she can't help but burst into tears. Her body begins shaking erratically and she presses herself against the back of this bed. She looks at both the faces, frightened out of her mind and the confusion of where she was, is overwhelming.

"P-Please don't hurt me...!" she declares.

"Belle, it's okay, we're not going to hurt you," Crystal declares.

"You're safe now," Henry affirms.

"Where is he? Where's HIM? Where's that demon? What will happen when Fiona finds out?"

"Fiona won't find out," Crystal says, trying to bring Belle's anxiety level back down to something more manageable. "She doesn't know where you are."

"She'll… she'll find me and when she does…"

"We're going to protect you," Henry says.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because we know who you really are," Crystal says. "And we can give you the answers you're looking for."

"It's because we're your family…" Henry says impulsively.

The daughter of the Dark One glares at him, trying to shame him for throwing their plan of breaking the news to her slowly right out the window, but Henry shrugs and looks back at Belle, who is still frightened, but now also curious.

"You're… you're my family?" she asks. "But I have no family, I was found on the side of the road fourteen years ago with no name and no memories."

"Did Fiona tell you that?" Crystal asks.

Belle nods.

"It's all lies," Henry says. "Everything that Fiona said to you is all lies. You do have a family. A husband, a son, a step-daughter, friends…"

The mention of a husband and son freezes Belle in place. Those memories… those memories of that man and that baby… they were true… they must be true! They just told her they were! Was one of them named Gideon? Is that why the name was familiar? She had friends too? How is that possible if she's been locked down in that cell for so long? But how can she be sure that these people were telling the truth? What if they were lying to get her to trust them?

"How do you know that?" she says, suspiciously, trying to sound brave.

Before Henry can speak, Crystal steps in to bring all the confusion back to a manageable level.

"Because we know them, and we know you."

"You don't know anything about me! You have no idea what I've been through. And besides, how can I know that I can trust you?"

"I guess you can't," Crystal shrugs. "You can't know if you can trust us, but you're just going to have to take that leap of faith. As scary as it may be…"

"I…I don't think I can do that."

"Maybe you can't right now, but if it helps you make that decision... Both of us were the ones who stopped that monster from tormenting you, we opened the cell door and caught you before you fell…"

"We protected you from that… guy," Henry continues. "We brought you here, we gave you someplace comfortable to sleep, we helped clean you up and since you've woken up, we haven't tried to hurt you and we don't want to hurt you. We're not forcing you to stay here if you don't want to, but we do want to give you something to eat and keep you safe."

"If that's what you want," Crystal finishes, deciding to sit back down to look like they weren't trying to be aggressive or hurt her. Henry does the same and they sit on the hardwood floor, looking into the woman's frightened blue eyes.

Belle/Jane Doe takes a moment to consider everything that's been said. While several of those things were what Fiona and HIM were claiming to be giving her, likely to gain her complacency and trust, these two were not trying to imprison her. They were concerned for her well-being it seemed and they did get her out of that terrible place… yet she's still unsure.

Henry and Crystal wait patiently, trying not to imagine the kinds of horrors Belle has been through, even though the curse was only cast several days ago… but in her mind, it's been fourteen long years of imprisonment, torment, and indoctrination of her thinking that she belonged in that place or that she was "safe." They won't force her to do anything that she's not ready for, anything to win her trust and bring back a member of their family.

"We can also help you remember who you are," Henry says. "We can bring the rest of your family back together, but only if you trust us…"

The young author then holds out his hand, even though Belle cowers away from it. "My name is Henry Mills."

Crystal follows suit. "And I'm Crystal Miller…"

Despite all the fear inside of herself, Belle cannot help but feel that these two people are sincere and that they want to help her. While so much doubt is filling her head, she realizes that what Crystal has said is true, she must take that leap of faith on her own. For so long she's put her safety and trust in the hands of the people who were torturing her and keeping her locked away… she wants all that to change, she wants to trust people who are going to help her remember and get back everything that she'd lost.

"I'm Jane… but now I suppose that I am really Belle…"

 _A/N: Please follow and review._


	42. Chapter 41: Jogging Some Memories

Chapter 41: Jogging Some Memories

"Just try to eat something," Henry says. "You need to get your strength back."

In front of a very frightened Belle is some warm soup, a sandwich, a glass of water, and some applesauce; all things that she had not received in the cell. The best she could get most days was cold oatmeal and maybe a plain sandwich, but all of this looked very filling, something her body seemed to be longing for. Despite how tempting the food was, her mind doesn't allow her stomach to eat… something still doesn't want to trust these total strangers.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Belle asks, staring at the meal and then at the two people who have brought her to this strange house in the middle of nowhere. If she didn't know any better, she would expect that these people were trying to kidnap her, hold her for ransom or kill her in some sort of twisted act of evil. Down in the cell, she was safe, safe from all the evil in the outside world. "You don't even know me…"

"But we do, you may not be able to remember it, but we've known you for a long time," Henry answers.

 _Him longer than me_ , Crystal thinks to herself. Despite how close she was to Henry's family, she was still kind of distant with Belle, mostly because she had yet to find a deeper connection to the woman who is her step-mother. Maybe it was because she was so close to Rumpel, and the father and daughter duo could only tolerate each other so much… but that didn't seem likely since she often hugged her father out of affection and love, creating a decent bond of closeness between the two. Or that going back and forth to New York hadn't allowed the beauty and her step-daughter to become properly acquainted. Or maybe it's because the daughter of the Dark One doesn't want the beauty to replace her real mother. While this would never truly happen, Lillian Miller was a hero and would never be forgotten by those who loved her, Crystal had found comfort and family with the people in Storybrooke. Snow White and Regina already filled a lot of the surrogate mother roles, Belle had technically just entered motherhood herself and she didn't know how to properly connect with children yet. However, if that were true, Belle and Henry seem to get along famously. Maybe it was because Crystal was already an adult and didn't need that connection any more… Or that the two of them didn't want a connection…

No, the latter idea of not wanting to connect seemed ridiculous; Crystal wanted a family for the longest time, and now she had more than she could have ever asked for, and that family included Belle. It would come, just after the damn curse was broken.

"How… How could you have known me for a long time? I've been locked in that cell for fourteen years…"

"No, you haven't," the male of the group insists. While he doesn't want to admit that she had been in a similar situation before; locked in the ward below the hospital by his adoptive mother for twenty-eight years, that was a conversation for another time. "You've been the librarian of Storybrooke for a long time now, you've gone on great adventures, you've fought for those you love, you've been married and you've had a child…"

"THEN HOW COME I CAN'T REMEMBER IT?!" she screeches angrily, newfound strength entering her body. She slams her fist on the table, nearly sending all her food flying.

Both Henry and Crystal look at one another, trying to find some way to respond, bringing up the curse is the last thing either of them wants to do right now. They just want to get Belle to trust them and believe that they can help her remember.

"Because Fiona didn't want you to," Crystal finally answers.

"Why? What would happen if I actually had some decent and pleasant memories?"

"Her entire plan would fall apart," Henry says.

"What do you mean by that? What plan?"

"Fiona thinks that by keeping you from your real family, she can continue to manipulate everyone around her."

"But why pick on me?" Belle whimpers, wiping some tears from her eyes.

"Because you are married to Fiona's son," Crystal says, wincing, knowing that they are about to be bombarded by questions.

Instead, the three of them sit in silence for a long little while, letting this fact sink in for the poor patient. Belle's blue eyes well up with tears and they look on in complete confusion. She knew she had a husband, those memories had to have been true, but Fiona's son? The woman looked barely old enough to have a teenage son, let alone an adult son, who apparently, she is married to. She sniffs, wishing that something would make more sense than what these two people were telling her… yet, if the reason that Fiona had tormented her all these years was because of her relationship with this strange man, that could make some sense. Perhaps their union was forbidden and so Fiona made her disappear… despite all the insanity being said, some of it did make sense, in some crazy and twisted way.

"How… how…" she whimpers, holding her head. She takes a few large gulps of water, trying to calm her body down. "Can I have another Aspirin?"

Crystal slides the bottle down to Belle. "Take as many as you need, all this stuff would make anyone's head hurt."

Belle takes another one of the small pills and swallows it expertly. No surprise there considering these medications had been shoved down her throat for the past 14 years… or however long it really was.

She sniffs and begins to pick at her bowl of soup, not feeling hungry in the slightest anymore.

"This… husband that I have… what's his name?"

"Rump-Gold," Crystal corrects herself quickly.

"Robert Gold," Henry finishes, deciding to use his curse name for the time being.

"Is… he a good person?"

 _Matter of serious opinion_ , both other parties think to themselves. They look at one another and while the Dark One was far from even remotely being called a hero when it came to Belle, he devoted every aspect of his being to changing and being the best man for her.

"To you… he was amazing," Crystal answers.

"Why just to me? What about other people?"

"Let's just say his people skills need serious adjustment," the daughter of the Dark One replies.

"So why did I marry him?"

 _That is the million-dollar question_ , Crystal thinks to herself, even though she knew the reason. Belle was able to see past the monster that everyone else knew him as, break the curse surrounding the darkness and start to heal the black heart he had acquired over thousands of years of evil and vengeance.

"You were able to see so much more of who he was," Henry answers. "You could get past all his defences and make him a better man. He will tell you this himself. He would do anything for you."

"Does he know where I am?" she asks, wiping away some tears. While it was slightly reassuring of what the two strangers told her, saying that she was loved so deeply by a man, she begins to fight the conditioning Fiona had forced her to endure, saying that she wasn't worth it and that no one loved her.

"Not yet, but we're hoping to let you two see each other really soon. But only if you're ready," Crystal says quietly. With her father, it was often hard to tell, but when it came to his wife, he'd do anything to protect her and would surely not condemn this inhumane treatment of his true love if he knew. "You don't have to decide now but do sleep on it."

Belle merely nods and then goes for the sandwich being offered to her. She eats almost ravenously, not realizing how hungry she truly was. While the food was rather simple, it was much better than the slop she'd been served through a metal slot in the cell door.

Something pops into the beauty's mind, and despite having already received an answer, she's still battling the insecurities in her frightened mind.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"

"Because no one deserves to be treated like this," Crystal answers.

"And because we're your family," Henry says gently.

Crystal still grimaces, wishing that they'd left this significant piece of information, for the time being, the poor woman already had enough to comprehend without this.

"You've already told me that, but how am I supposed to believe you? I…I mean… we don't look alike and how come you never came to find me or… All Fiona ever told me is that no one wanted or came to claim me, and she always told me that in the cell I would be safe, safe from all evil."

"That wasn't safe Belle," Crystal says. "That was imprisonment and torture. What Fiona Blackwell did to you is the evillest thing you can do to a person, besides killing them."

"You're not going to kill me, are you?!" she suddenly says in a panic. She stands up and grabs the fork to use

"Belle, we would never try to hurt you. It might be hard for you to believe, but… you are my step-mother."

"Step-mother? What is that?"

"It means that you're not my real mother, but you are married to my father."

"Your father… you mean the same husband?"

"Yes."

Belle thinks back on that rush of memories, trying to pick out an image of this husband. "I remember a man who smiled and had a soft voice that could comfort me. His aged face was so pliable and delicate, he seemed to know everything…"

Despite the vagueness, both Henry and Crystal believe that some of Belle's old memories had surfaced.

"Do you remember that?" Crystal asks, wondering how much Belle truly remembered. "Can you tell us what you do remember? What happened to you?"

"I… I can try. It was the strangest thing, less than a few days ago, I had absolutely no memory of anything of who I was or where I came from and then suddenly, there was an earthquake and this rush of… images… and feelings came. I felt pain, sadness, anger, happiness, wonder, all in these flashes, which I think are now memories."

"Wait, wait," Crystal says. "That earthquake? Did you feel it?"

"It wasn't really an earthquake, but it was like this wave of…power or energy or something and then suddenly all those memories came back. I knew I had a husband and… I think a child."

Crystal's eyes go wide, and she looks at Henry, her mouth hanging open in shock and realization. She realizes that the shockwave she'd released, those things she hated and saw as destructive, had actual power, enough power to actually reawaken the memories of those impacted by the curse and create an almost ripple in its magical hold on the town and its residents. Henry connects the thoughts in his head; his mom saying that she had an episode this morning… She had felt it too and remembered her old life. The two are absolutely floored by this information wondering who else could have felt it. Was it felt all across the city? Was it truly powerful enough to weaken the curse? Even temporarily.

While the two are sitting with this realization, Belle continues to eat, making herself feel more comfortable and a bit stronger than before. She knows something has happened, something that she said, but was it a good thing or a bad thing?

Eventually, Henry decides to confirm what Belle had already suspected.

"And yes you have a son,"

"Are you my son?" she asks Henry, hope in her eyes.

"N-No, I'm not your son, but I am your grandson."

"How…how could that be possible… I'm…I'm not old, I don't even have any gray hair. I can't be a grandmother! It's impossible! How… how?!"

"It's complicated," Henry says.

"So very complicated," Crystal agrees, knowing to try to explain their family tree would take at least six hours, and its clear Belle needs to get some rest, and so do they. Exhaustion has crept into her body and no doubt was feeling the exhaustion too. They had done so much within the last 24 hours

"His name is Gideon and he misses you," Henry says, deciding to lessen the confusion.

"You can hopefully meet him tomorrow, but again, you should sleep on it. In fact, we should all get some sleep, it's been a very long day."

Crystal stands up to remove all the dishes and she signals for Henry to show Belle where the shower is. Both of the knowledgeable parties still had a lot to chew on.

…

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Henry asks. The two of them stand outside the room where Belle has finally managed to fall asleep. She's curled up into a tiny ball to protect herself and one of the lamps has been left on to give her some comfort. She asked for the door to be left open, no doubt out of fear that she'd be locked in again.

"It's hard to say, the curse really did a number on her," Crystal says, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed in great concern.

"I think it did for all of us," Henry says.

"She's really haunted. Whatever Fiona did to her in that cell has made her afraid of everything and made her forget everything. Hopefully, we can undo some of the damage,"

"Like your shockwave seemed to do," Henry points out.

Crystal's eyes go wide and she nods in agreement. "I… I can't believe it either. I mean I didn't think Belle could feel it, let alone Emma and I sure as hell didn't think that it would actually do anything…"

"It was powerful enough to help people get back their memories, that's why my Mom called it an episode. She felt her real memories come back, but she's convinced herself that they're just hallucination," he says in excitement. "Do you really think…?"

"It's a stretch but I do think more people felt it, we just have to find them," she nods.

The two smile in excitement, their hearts racing, believing and hoping that this was true and that they were on the way to breaking the curse. They hug each other before deciding to call it a night. Henry heads to bed while Crystal goes around, using her magic to lock all the doors. She then places the strongest protection spells that she can around the entire house. With any luck, this rather large mansion will be as invisible as possible, and the Black Fairy won't come poking around. Hopefully, their liberation of Belle would not be discovered until morning, where the trio can ponder the next phase of their plan.

…

"What is this place?" Belle asks.

The poor beauty had woken up rather early, due to nightmares and terror of not knowing where she was. She was so frightened that she could not fall back asleep and had ended up staying awake, sitting out in the hallway, waiting for someone else to wake up too. She had thought about leaving right then and there, now that she was technically free, and the stranger girl said that the woman was free to go if she wanted to, but something was convincing her to stay. Maybe it was the genuine kindness the two seemed to show for her or maybe it was the promise that they would reunite her with her supposed husband and son. Perhaps it was both, but she sat in the gloomy hallway, not wanting to stay in the room alone until Henry got up a few hours later. She caught him on the way to the bathroom and he promised he'd give her a tour of the mansion.

He'd shown her everything and was now showing her the thousands of books on the shelves. It was clear to him that Belle still had the desire for books as her eyes were the widest Henry had ever seen them.

"It's a library," Henry explains. "It has all kinds of books."

"It's beautiful," she says in wonder.

"It is," the young author agrees. "It's a place to gain all kinds of knowledge. They take you places you can only dream about, and you can learn things you never knew before."

"I hope they are good dreams because the ones I have are just horrendous," the frail woman admits. Her fingers trace the volumes, she inhales the scent with eagerness and desire. She removes one from the shelf and holds it close to her heart. She couldn't understand it, but this place was truly her home.

Suddenly, Henry gets an idea.

"If you're looking for something to read, here's one that I recommend starting with…"

He takes a large brown book with gold trimming and large letters that read on the front:

 ** _Once Upon a Time_**

 _A/N: Please follow and review._


	43. Chapter 42: Murder She Wrote

Chapter 42: Murder She Wrote

"Pick up the goddamned phone!" Fiona hisses angrily through her teeth as she walks through the lobby of her son's hotel with Henry, ready to put him in the family limo to be taken to school. She's so focused on getting through to one of the supervisors at the hospital that she doesn't notice when she bumps into someone.

Everything in her arms, including the important paperwork she required to get Emma released from the mental hospital and back to Boston falls to the carpeted floor. Her phone also goes flying. In addition, one of her heels breaks, causing her to grab onto a nearby doorframe to steady herself.

Sighing in great annoyance, she begins leaning down to pick up her things and notices the light-coloured hair also sloping down to pick up the belongings. She then recognizes the distinct blue eyes and chiselled features.

"I'm so sorry about that Madame Mayor," David Nolan says, helping gather the scattered paperwork. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"You certainly should be sorry," she snaps in anger. The last thing she needed was to run into Snow White's true love this morning. The humble shepherd turned prince that was one of bravest men that ever walked the Earth; the man whom the precious Snow White willingly gave up half her heart so she would not be separated from him. The sheer sense of devotion and passion between the two royals was revolting and the fairy was glad that she'd engineered the curse so the couple would be separated for eternity and never see either of their precious children again. Without the chance of true love, the curse would never be broken, plus the fact that Emma Swan never knowing who her parents were would make it easy for the former Saviour to leave the city behind and believe that she truly was alone in this world. Of course, there was still the problem of Henry, but he had been acting much more obedient lately, which meant either the young teenager had given up or was planning something new. For this reason, Fiona had to watch her back just in case the latter was true.

David bites his lip, holding back a rude and derisive comment he wanted to return to this wicked woman. It was something he was used to doing, especially from living with Kathryn for so long, he'd learned to hold his tongue and just take the abuse, knowing that saying anything would get him in trouble. This was especially true with Fiona Blackwell, the mother of his boss and he knew he couldn't afford to lose his job or he'd face the wrath of his wife, who would most certainly leave him after that. Plus, with the kind of power Fiona had as the Mayor, he could be physically removed from the city with the snap of her fingers.

Instead, he leans down to pick up all the papers from the carpet. It's then that he notices the name **_Emma Swan_** on the top of the page… That was a strange name… it was almost if he'd heard it before. He then looks through the rotating doors at Fiona's adopted son Henry… wasn't Emma Swan his birth mother? For the few times that he'd spoken to the young boy, he had mentioned this name before and how much he missed her while she was in the hospital. He knew that Mayor Blackwell was in charge of the woman's affairs, probably by the insistence of her own son, and of course, the story of Henry eating the poisoned apple turnover and his birth mother's subsequent break-down was well-known by the locals of the city. But this name seemed even more familiar to him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He quickly scans over the document and realizes that it's a release form from the mental hospital.

"I'm glad to see Henry's mother is feeling better," he says politely, putting the papers in a relatively neat pile in his hands before handing it to the woman.

"I'm sorry?" she hisses.

"The release papers there, I'm glad Miss Swan has received the care she needs."

"Oh yes," Fiona says in forced positivity, not entirely willing to continue this conversation much longer. She had to try calling the main hospital again to check in on Jane Doe.

"I'm sure Henry is happy that she's coming out."

"Oh definitely, and then they can have a nice goodbye before she heads back to Boston,"

"What?" David says in shock. "She's leaving?"

"Yes, it was at Dr. Hopper's insistence, unfortunately. But I believe that it's time that Miss Swan go back to her old life and try to forget the trauma that she endured here."

"But what about Henry? What about…"

"I'm sorry, but I have an important call to place. I have no time for this useless chatter. Please watch where you're going next time Mr. Nolan and have a good day," the black fairy says dismissively, putting the stack of papers under her arm, and walking through the rotating doors.

"But…"

Before he can say anything else, Fiona Blackwell is kissing her son on the head and putting him in the family limo to go to school, leaving David standing there, wanting to say more. He can't imagine what Henry must be going through if his birth mother is being released from the hospital and is now leaving the city for good. He's not sure if this is Madam Mayor's doing or not, but nothing about this sits well with him, even if it wasn't any of his business. He felt compelled to want to help this boy, whom he felt an immense connection to, despite barely knowing him. It was the strangest feeling in the world and none of it made sense to him.

He heads towards the employees' section of the hotel to get ready for work when he remembers the strange blue crystal heart that he'd found in the alleyway the day before. He takes it out and examines it carefully. Like this previous encounter, everything felt off… there was also a sense of déjà vu thrown into there as well. He felt that he'd seen this crystal heart pendant before, but where, he couldn't be certain. He was debating whether to hand it into the hotel lost and found, thinking someone might've dropped it when they were in the alleyway smoking, but he feels as if its too special to just be tossed in a bin, probably never to be touched again unless it was sold to Goodwill when no one claimed it. There's a feeling of care and love attached to the object, and he puts it back in his pocket, not really sure why, but is following his instinct.

…

Meanwhile, Fiona is outside after watching Henry leave in the limo, still trying to reach the main hospital. Gareth had not picked up his phone. She knew this was unusual because he always picked up, especially when it had anything to do with her son's wife.

For some strange reason, Belle French had become much more demanding in the last 24 hours and neither Gareth nor Fiona could explain it. Perhaps the earthquake or whatever had occurred had frightened the woman into a hysteric state. The fairy's lackey had called after nine last night saying she was making a loud ruckus again, so Fiona had ordered him to do whatever it took to put a stop to it.

There was some guilt in her stomach about hiding Rumple's wife from him, especially when the Dark One worried about Gideon rebelling and his son actively hating the woman who gave birth to him. However, this was all done for Rumple, allowing for them to finally have that mother-son bond that they were deprived of in his youth. Her banishment into the Dark Realm left her to only watch her son grow without her and become an equally dark entity, which did make her proud but also sad. Her scumbag husband had abandoned the boy as a child, for the chance to live as a youthful being forever, then her son's first wife also abandoned him because he was a coward and she wanted an exciting life, and then the previous wretched Dark One had tricked him into accepting that terrible, vengeful burden created by Merlin centuries before. This curse had caused her beloved Rumple to make many terrible mistakes including betraying his own son and feeling betrayal from the subsequent lovers he'd obtained. While Belle did make him happy, it always ended in heartbreak for both of them, which is why Fiona wanted to spare her son from all that pain again. It would never work out… that was the reality of love. She hoped that someday he would understand everything she had sacrificed to save him, plus she had given him Gideon back, that had to be something.

Troubled that something had gone wrong with Gareth, perhaps he had killed Belle and feared her wrath, once the chauffeur came back, Fiona immediately ordered him to drive to the hospital.

She wondered why she'd ever brought him over from the Dark Realm. While he was just as sadistic as the other entities in that world, he stood out to her. Perhaps it was because he followed her without question and devoted his existence to pleasing her. She admired his desire to see things outside the realm and spread pure evil and chaos, but he did not always play by her rules. If he has killed Belle, she risks losing Rumple altogether and possibly fulfilling the prophecy… bringing on the Final Battle.

The idiot in the front seat could not get there fast enough, as soon as he pulls up to the building, Fiona gets out and hurries inside. She stumbles when she realizes her heel is still broken and quickly fixes it with magic when no one is looking. She ignores the nurses and doctors milling about, taking care of patients, and doing their duties, and they returned the favour as she was a frequent visitor. The Black Fairy weaves down the halls until she removed her special key card to access the facility downstairs. She also presses in the appropriate code.

As she carefully maneuvers down the stairs, she immediately senses that something is off. Once downstairs, she sees some kind of liquid leaking at her feet in the green-tinted light. It was thick and black in colour and there was the smell of sulphur in the air. She sidesteps the substance and goes downstairs into the bowels of the hospital.

To her absolute horror, she finds out where the source of the liquid is coming from. Gareth's true form had been revealed and it now lies dead in the centre of the cell block. She kneels and lifts his thick leathery wing to discover a large gaping hole in the middle of the demon's chest. She couldn't tell what had pierced him, but it was obviously extremely sharp, large enough to create a gaping wound, and based on the look on his face, he did not expect to be attacked with it. However, the shock was not over.

The Black Fairy looks up and sees that Belle's cell is empty, with the keypad fried beyond recognition and the remains of some other device nearby. It looks as though it had exploded.

The wicked woman takes a few minutes to quietly pay respect to Gareth; he was, unfortunately, a victim of circumstance, but he always said he'd want to go out fighting. She then grinds her teeth together, wanting answers for this seemingly senseless slaughter…

She begins walking around the cell block to try and find out what happened. At first, she expected that Belle may have done all this, attacked Gareth and escaped, but he would have obviously made if extremely difficult for her to do so and there was no sign of human blood. There is no way the beauty would have been able to overpower this demon alone. For a second, she thinks it might have been Henry, but she had the chauffeur watching his room last night and the teenager never left it once. There was also no way for him to escape through the windows considering they were on the top floor of the hotel. Then, to her great surprise, she finds the residue of fire; singed doors and ash on the walls. She also investigates the strange mangled piece of machinery which she soon discovers was a boombox. She leans down and rubs her fingers together, seeing remains of something.

Suddenly, her hand burns and she wipes the substance on her pants to remove the painful sensation. Her fingers are left with strange red welts as if she was having an allergic reaction to this element. It was definitely magical in nature, but why did it burn her? She thinks maybe Rumple had done this, but their magic was very similar in nature, it wouldn't have burned her so painfully.

No… this was light magic, the enemy to her own twisted darkness. Yet, it wasn't pure light magic either, so it couldn't have been the Saviour's nor the traitorous fairies. Was it possible it was one of the Mills sisters? Both Regina and Zelena did not have pure light magic either, but neither sister knew that they had this mythological power. No one did, except herself and her minions, and possibly Henry, despite no one believing him. Magic was a secret in this city, and the Black Fairy wanted to keep it that way. But this attack was deliberate, not accidental, and this person knew what they were doing with this sorcery… She tries to think about who else might have this ability…was it possible…? No… not at all…

She also had to think about the fact that Belle was now gone, which complicated absolutely everything. She couldn't let her and Rumple be reunited, it would turn her son against her and her entire world would fall apart. Everything she'd worked so hard to build would be ruined…

Unless… unless she could track Belle and this magic user down. It was obvious that this person had helped the beauty escape, but why was yet to be seen, and she couldn't let that happen. She decides that she needed to have the whole city looking for Belle so the meek bookworm could be captured before things got any worse. She would frame her as a violent and dangerous offender, hopefully throwing a wrench into whose ever plan was currently in motion.

The Black Fairy uses her magic to change Gareth back into his human form and remove any evidence of magic. This was a murder, plain and simple and one person is going to be responsible.

Fiona then prepares herself for her part, she dials 911 and runs up the hospital steps screaming bloody murder in the hopes of stopping whatever was happening behind her back.


	44. Chapter 43: A Promise

Chapter 43: A Promise

"Morning Henry," Crystal says, walking into the kitchen. She stretches out in her t-shirt and pyjama bottoms. Henry has pulled out a box of cereal and is eating a bowl quietly, reading a random book he'd uncovered in the library. "How'd you sleep?"

"Better than before," Henry admits, scooping some cereal into his mouth. "Now that I don't have the embodiment of all darkness and evil breathing down my neck or having to get up to go to the most depressing school in existence. I swear that clone idea was the best part of the plan so far."

"Just so we're clear, that clone is temporary. Once the curse is over, his existence will vanish. The sooner, the better because we don't want it going _Blade Runner_ on us either. You can't use him to go to school. Both Regina and Emma would murder me if they found out you were using Henry II to skip school. Understood?"

She sounded more like a mother that it even surprised Crystal a bit. Even though they considered themselves siblings to one another, they were more equals than one being the leader and so on. However, it seemed that being older meant that once and a while, she would have to take up the role of responsible guardian/older sibling, just until their proper family structure could be restored.

Internally, Henry did curse under his breath, but he knew that this would be the reality and he'd already made his peace with it. There was so much going on that the thought had only crossed his mind once. He knew that Emma and Regina would murder both him and Crystal if this playing "hooky" plan ever came to fruition. He just shrugs and goes back to eating his breakfast.

"Thanks for stocking the fridge last night, by the way," he adds.

"Better to bunker down now because who knows how long this curse will last," she nods, grabbing some juice out of the fridge and reaching into the cupboards, only to pull out a filthy and dusty glass.

She frowns and then uses her magic to make all the utensils and cooking materials clean and ready to use.

"I'd cut back on the magic though," Henry says. "You know how fragile Belle is right now, I'd hate to see what would happen if she caught a glimpse of your powers."

The daughter of the Dark One couldn't argue there. Belle truly was in a delicate state and to see real magic on display, it might put the beauty out of commission and make their mission to break the curse more dire and important, plus adding a time crunch to their already complex situation. Hopefully, if something does happen to Belle or any of them, it could all be reset by the breaking of the curse.

"Speaking of her, where is my step-mother?"

"In the library," Henry explains.

"Why am I not surprised?" Crystal smirks, pouring herself some juice. "I'm glad to see the Black Fairy couldn't psychologically traumatize or torture to eliminate that part of her personality."

"She's reading my _Once Upon a Time_ book," Henry explains. "Hopefully, that will bring her up to speed on everything."

"Could even jog some memories," she agrees.

The two know that they could hope for this, but it was more likely that either a kiss from Rumple or Gideon or the elimination of the curse entirely could truly bring the memories back. While Crystal's shockwaves seemed to ignite something, it was up to the rest of them to fan the inferno.

"Speaking of which, do you think we should bring her to see Grandpa and Uncle Gideon?"

"I… guess, as long as we can avoid Grandma Fairy."

"She goes by Fiona in this world, Fiona Blackwell."

"Blackwell, very suitable for the colour of her soul."

Neither of them could argue that.

"I got mad at anyone who called me it too," the teenage author adds.

Once the two eat some breakfast, they go to the library to find Belle with her nose in a book, but not Henry's book. The beloved leather-bound storybook was on the floor next to the chair the beauty bookworm was sitting in, opposite to a large pile of books reaching up to the arm of the chair.

"Belle?" Crystal asks.

The shaken and still haunted beauty looks up, although her eyes seem less haunted, more curious, likely due to the book she was reading. She appeared to be more comfortable and maybe even a bit happier, which relieved both of her protectors immensely.

"I suppose that is my name," she says, giving a weak smile before going back to the book in her hands.

"What happened?" Henry asks, reaching down and picking up the Once Upon a Time book. "Why aren't you reading the book I gave you?"

"I finished it," Belle says matter-of-factly.

Of course, both Henry and Crystal should have known by now that it wouldn't take someone like Belle more than a few hours to get through one book.

"And…" he says, hoping that something had been sparked or that his step-grandmother had accepted the truth.

"It's a beautiful book with many fascinating works of fiction."

Both hearts of the other two drop into their stomachs. They look at one another in fear and with uncertainty crossing their faces.

"F-Fiction?" Henry says, his mouth hanging open in shock and despair. He was getting flashbacks to being ten years old and him being the only one who believed…

"Yes, they are marvellous fairy tales about fairies, pirates, dwarves, dragons, evil queens, and princesses, but nothing else. While it was a wonderful read, I don't understand why you insisted on me reading this book first when there are so many more interesting books that aren't written for children."

"B-But…"

Henry's mouth remains open in horror and he fights off the tears burning in his eyes. He wants to shout and scream at Belle that everything in the book was true! How could she not see the resemblance between her and the illustration of herself in the story?! That agony and pain of no longer being believed comes back and causes his heart and body to ache. Why does it seem that every time this happens, he ends up merely wasting his breath as everyone would rather live in ignorance?

Fortunately, Crystal comes to his rescue, putting her hand on his shoulder and leaning forward.

"Breathe Henry, she will believe, even if it kills us." She then turns to Belle to explain. "I think Henry saw how much you liked books and was just eager to share one of his favourites with you. Maybe help you recapture some positivity and hope in your life."

"Don't get me wrong, I did find the book entertaining Henry, it was just a little juvenile for me. I hope I didn't offend you."

Sucking in a deep breath, the teenager collects himself before answering.

"N-Not at all, I-I am glad you still liked it."

"Belle, do you want me to get you some clean clothes before we go out for the day? To help you get used to big city life and maybe start tracking down your family again."

"I…I suppose," the beauty hesitates. "But do you mind if I finish this chapter first?" The cover of her book reveals the title _Pride and Prejudice_ , a real classic and it appears as if she is already halfway through the Jane Austen story.

"Not at all, take your time, I'll leave some clean clothes on your bed upstairs."

"Thank you so much, Crystal and Henry, I'll never be able to repay you for your kindness."

"I can think of a few ways," the teenager hisses under his breath before Crystal escorts him out of the library and she shuts the door as she goes.

…

Henry hurries into the front hall of the mansion and finds the nearest wall. He slams his fists so hard against it, that the sound echoes through the house and could have possibly left a dent in the drywall from how hard he's hit it. He finally lets the tears slide down his face and leans with his hands pressed against the painted surface, staring at the hardwood floor as he tries to think and process everything.

"Why does everything have to be so damn hard?" he snarls, biting his lip hard enough to bleed.

"Curses are tough things," Crystal says gently, knowing how frustrated her surrogate brother was. She did not exactly feel hopeful herself, but just as Henry had been her rock during her time of crisis, she had to return the favour to him now. She decides against giving him a hug, letting him have his space for the time being. She finds her jean jacket by the front door and pulls out _Her Handsome Hero_. "But while the fairy tale book might not have worked, this one might. Like you, she has a close connection to a specific book, and hopefully, this one will bring something back."

"Hopefully, _hopefully_!" he hisses angrily. "We're putting a lot of this on hope! It's not exactly getting us anywhere, is it? Why the hell can't my mom just give me true love's kiss and end this hell hole of a life we're living?!"

"Because she doesn't believe in love anymore," the daughter of the Dark One answers sadly.

"I know that, but why can't this go faster?! Why can't we just grab my mom and show her your magic? That will motivate her to believe."

"Well, for one thing, it could possibly kill Emma from pure shock, and another, we still have to tiptoe around the mistress of darkness. If she finds out I exist and we're working against her, she might kill everyone we love."

"Why are you so insistent on keeping your presence a secret?" Henry asks, lifting his head up and looking at Crystal. "I mean you're not exactly subtle when it comes to those shock waves. Shock waves that stirred people's memories I might add."

"It's because I believe that if Fiona thinks that everything is still under her control and that there aren't people working against her, she'll let her guard down, allowing us to sneak in and attack when she least expects it."

Henry frowns. While this idea does make sense, he can tell that there's more to it, that there is another, more complicated reason for Crystal wanting to remain invisible. "But how do you know that Fiona isn't aware of your existence already? I mean, she knew when Gideon was born, being able to abduct him," Henry says skeptically.

"I don't really," Crystal admits. "I keep telling myself that she doesn't know she has three grandchildren instead of two. I mean it's not likely that she was watching my dad all of these years, right?"

Henry shoots her a doubtful look and she sighs.

"I know… I keep hoping that once my mom entered The Land Without Magic, I became invisible to her and her magic. I know she probably saw me when I came to Storybrooke, but I pray she still thinks I'm in New York."

"Why?" Henry says, more insistently this time. He knows there's more to this, he wasn't stupid. "I know you're hiding something so spill it."

The daughter of the Dark One bites her lip very hard and looks into Henry's hazel eyes. There's no fooling him, not at all. She knows that he suspects that she's hiding something else. She swallows a lump in her throat.

Sighing heavily, she goes to her jean jacket and removes what she'd taken from the underground vault the day before. She throws them at Henry's feet.

At first, the teenager doesn't know what they are, but once he picks them up, he understands.

"Crystal… you can't…" he begins, but she cuts him off.

"I'm scared Henry," she admits. This time, tears are burning in her eyes. "I'm afraid that this curse is bringing out the darkest parts of my personality. You saw what happened in the alleyway. I… I almost killed a random person because that darkness took over me. I nearly hurt you and a tonne of other people with that shock wave, and… I'm scared it's just going to get worse. That I might end up hurting someone else or worse…" She swallows again. "And I'm scared that if the Black Fairy realizes the kind of dark power I have, she'll use it to her advantage, make it go out of control or even force me to fight against you guys."

She shivers and walks over to sit on the stairs, placing her hands over her eyes. "I'm having my Elsa/Emma afraid of my magic moment. I just hate this battle inside of me Henry… it hurts so badly, and it takes all of my energy just to keep that darkness at bay. Sometimes I just want this pain and exhaustion to end, and those cuffs might be the solution I need, give myself a break. I know it sounds selfish and I know you're going to say that magic is what makes me special, but in this case, this energy is too special, and it could end up hurting you or someone else. I can't lose someone else to magic Henry, I…I just can't"

Crystal curls up into a ball and begins to sob. She lets the pain come out and it feels as if this curse is truly bringing them to pure misery like it was supposed. Both she and her brother had had more ups and downs in the last 72 hours than most pregnant women would have in a week. It was exhausting and she agrees with the author, she just wants it to be all over.

Henry immediately goes over and pulls Crystal into his arms. The two of them hug for a long time, just sitting in silence, both feeling and trying to understand each other. They hold one another up and pray that soon this pain will end. Their minds fill with images of their family and friends, all of them lost and unaware of who they truly are. Why couldn't it be over by now?

…

When the two finally collect themselves, Crystal looks at her brother seriously.

"Henry," she says.

"Yes?"

"I want you to promise me something."

"Sure Crystal."

She levitates the black cuffs back to her and places them in her hands.

"Crys…"

"Just listen," she begs. "I want you to save these as a last resort. **_ONLY_** as a last resort; only if you see no other option, I want you to stop the darkness in its tracks. If she somehow manages to control my magic or if it just becomes too much, I want you to put them on."

"Crystal, I can't do that…"

"You have to. For the sake of everyone we love and maybe even the whole town. I can't hurt people again. I don't want to have re-live my greatest mistakes. You have to understand that."

"I do but…"

"But nothing, even if I beg you to put them on or I fight against you not to, you have to make the decision. If I try, the darkness will only try to stop me. I trust you to do that little brother… please. Promise me."

"But…"

"PROMISE," she insists. Her hands flicker slightly with the intensity of her emotions.

Henry gazes into her blue eyes, seeing the despair, pain, and hopelessness swimming in her tears. She truly believed that she was a danger to him and everyone else if her magic got out of control. He can see the struggle in her face and how tired she looked, fighting that battle inside herself every day. No wonder she was asking him for this favour, to potentially release her from this burden.

He could understand her reasoning; she'd lost her mother to the darkness, but how could he do that to her? If he did, they'd truly be at the mercy of the Black Fairy and their cause might be lost. He also couldn't block the part of who Crystal was. She did love her magic; flaws, and all, it's what made her unique and a powerful ally… It was touching that she was entrusting him to do this, like when Emma entrusted Regina with the dagger when she was the Dark One, believing that she was the only one who could stop her, but he was still just as afraid about it as she was. While she said these magic-cancelling cuffs would be a very last resort, he could sense that it would be more complicated than that. It always was. There might be times that she would beg for them to be put on, but he still had that power… and what if he made it at an impulsive time, sealing their fates in this dark curse? He's not sure he can take this pressure.

"Promise me," she says forcefully.

The heart of the truest believer opens his mouth to speak, he looks at his sister, then down at the cuffs, and then back at her again. He sighs very heavily.

"Okay… but as long as you promise not to give up hope so quickly…"

"I promise," she says, managing to smile.

Henry then goes to the front door and puts the cuffs in his backpack that still held the sword that had been used to kill the monster from last night, his quill, and soon his fairy tale book.

"Let's go re-introduce Belle to society," he says.

…

Eventually, the trio of heroes are out on the filthy streets of Stygian City once again, walking towards _The Golden Deal_ hotel, in hopes of having Belle reunite with her family and maybe bring some memories back. There was even hope that Rumpelstiltskin might try to help them once he had his wife and true love back.

Crystal had given Belle _Her Handsome Hero_ for her next reading project and the bookworm had yet to put it down. In fact, both Henry and Crystal had to try and guide the beauty through the streets as she refused to take her nose from the book to watch where she was going. It could possibly be a coping mechanism for the former inmate of the hospital, as the sights and sounds of the stinky city were a lot to take in, but unfortunately, this assistance and re-introduction to busy city life became fruitless for what was about to happen next.

Belle, of course, bumped into a random pedestrian on the street, causing both of them to drop what they were carrying. Crystal and Henry rush to help, hoping to show the beauty proper etiquette of helping someone, but once the woman looks Belle in the face properly, her face turns white as a sheet.

"You… You're that murderer!" the woman shrieks.

Belle looks very confused and frightened.

"What are you talking about?" she asks.

But the woman doesn't answer, she immediately flees down the street, shouting: "IT'S HER! I FOUND HER!?"

Both the author and the daughter of the Dark One's hearts begin pounding rapidly and the beauty begins to hyperventilate by this sudden bout of chaos. People on the street begin staring at them, and several pull out their phones. All are confused until Henry turns to look into the store they are standing in front of and he sees Belle's picture flashing on a TV screen with the words WANTED.

He shakily grabs Crystal's coat and points up at a jumbotron overlooking the next street and all of them freeze in horror.

The same image appears and under the words WANTED is MURDER.

 _A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a bit tedious, I just wanted to express the emotional turmoil that both Crystal and Henry are experiencing. Please review and follow._


	45. Chapter 44: Road Block

Chapter 44: Road Block

Immediately, both Henry and Crystal's hearts stop mid-beat. At that exact moment, all their plans for working under the radar and avoiding the Black Fairy blows up in front of them. The image of a frightened Belle with wide blue eyes and a haunted and ghastly expression is projected almost everywhere and within a few moments, it feels as though the entire city has eyes on them.

Belle herself is left staring up at her picture, absolutely horrified, and unable to comprehend what's happening. The book in her hands falls to the ground, as more people begin to surround them. However, no one attempts to grab them, perhaps frightened that the supposed murderer will attack if approached. The trio huddled closer together.

It takes a few minutes for either of them to react. People are whipping out their phones to film or take pictures of them and this indicates to Crystal that the use of magic is extremely risky. They need some sort of cover in order to make an escape.

Just then, a motorcycle beside the group revs to life, spewing gray smoke from its silver exhaust. Henry is the closest to the machine and comes up with an idea. He grabs Crystal's shirt, so she'll meet his gaze and motions towards the bike. It takes her a moment to gather her bearings, but then she nods. She takes a step back behind Henry in order to obscure people's view of her and puts her hand behind her back. She flicks her wrist and immediately the motorcycle's exhaust backfires several times, creating sounds like gunshots. This disruption frightens many people who begin to scream and duck or dive out of the way. The smoke from the tailpipe then becomes thicker and darker until it completely engulfs the three of them. Crystal grabs a hold of Henry's arm and Belle's shoulder and then uses her magic to teleport them away.

When the smoke clears, the whole street erupts into panic as the murderer and her accomplices have escaped into literal thin air. The only thing that remains is the book the woman was holding, which had now become evidence. Police sirens wail in the distance as they approach to investigate the mysterious happenings.

…

The group of three reappear back in front of the mansion, which is fortunately still hidden by Crystal's protection spells. Both she and Henry let out collective sighs of relief, but Belle is a different story entirely.

Belle is gasping to the point where it sounds like she's drowning and finally collapses into hysterics. Tears pour from her eyes and her entire body begins to shake erratically. Her eyes look completely haunted and it is likely that her mind is on the verge of shutting down completely.

"What… what…" is all she can say over and over. It reminds both of her companions of Crystal's similar breakdown in the penthouse; where she's barely able to breathe and all she can do is repeat a single word over and over.

"Belle…" Crystal says, immediately leaning down to help her stepmother. "Belle, it's okay."

"No…no… no…" she sputters, shaking her head and letting the tears stain the pavement of the driveway. She tries to squirm away from her so-called "friends." None of this makes any sense to her… what is happening? She's never done anything to hurt anyone… how has this become her life? She should go back to the cell where it was safe and life wasn't so confusing.

The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin looks at Henry, wondering what she should do.

He gets down and tries to help calm her too.

"Belle just talk to us! Tell us what happened."

"NO!" she screams, lashing out, swinging her arm at them, hitting both of them. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

Crystal and Henry are extremely worried and frightened. Their beloved Belle is in such hysterics that she's now physically assaulted them. She attempts to scramble up and leave into the forest or anywhere else that wasn't here.

"BELLE STOP!" Henry screeches. He tries to grab her jacket, but she viciously lashes out, pulling her sleeve violently from her grandson's grasp.

Both know that if Belle goes off on her own, there is no doubt that she won't survive very long, especially in her current, cursed state. She'll either get lost in the wilderness, be spotted, and arrested for murder, or the Black Fairy will get her and do something awful to her. The two begin to panic, trying to prevent any of those possibilities from happening.

Faced with dwindling choices and growing fear, Crystal reaches her hand out to use her magic and Belle collapses onto the ground unconscious.

At first, Henry wants to scream out at the daughter of the Dark One for doing something like this by force, but then he knew that it was their last resort, the only thing they could do. Their situation had become dire and ten times more complicated now that it seemed that the Black Fairy had made a move, attempting to prevent her son and Belle from ever meeting again.

They race over and check to make sure she hasn't been hurt any other way, knowing how unpredictable Crystal's magic was now.

When they see that she's okay, the person with magic poofs them inside.

…

"I really don't know what to do now," Crystal sighs, as Belle lays unconscious in her own bed. She's waved her hands over the beauty's body to heal any injuries, but there aren't any. At least, none that were not psychological. "It's clear Fiona knows that something's up and she's doing everything she can to stop us."

"She's trying to stop Grandpa from seeing her again and keeping her hold on the curse," Henry nods, sitting in a chair next to the bed, holding his grandmother's hand.

"I should have listened to you about using my magic in front of her," she sighs heavily. "I guess seeing that was her breaking point."

"It's not your fault, I asked you to get us out of there. If you didn't, we would be behind bars by now for something we didn't do. It was an emergency and we really didn't have a choice."

"I'm almost tempted to put her under a sleeping curse, just until we can get a little more of a handle on the situation."

"Please don't," Henry remarks sternly. He shudders at the memory of what happened to him under the sleeping curse and the nightmares in the flame room after it had been broken. "The aftereffects are much more traumatic than the curse itself. And Grandpa would never forgive you for that."

"I know, but I think it's best if we just keep her asleep for the time being. It's less stressful for her, considering she believes she's been locked in a cement block for the past fourteen years."

"Do you think you can freeze her in the moment?" the author asks. "Just so we don't have to worry about her waking up unexpectedly and running away again?"

Crystal swallows a lump in her throat. She feels awful about having to do this to someone she loves, but for now, it was only to protect her. Of course, this is how the Darkness explains the things it does, by creating reasons and logic to justify the results, even if it was for Belle's own good.

"Maybe not right now. I think I remember a spell Zelena taught me, it puts someone in a deep sleep that lasts 8-hours. I've used it before when I've had trouble sleeping and it's completely safe. I'll let her body recover from the stress and then I'll think I'll freeze her in the moment. I just want to do something first."

She conjures up a dreamcatcher and then removes the past hour or so from her stepmother's memory. She then puts the glowing object into the drawer of the nightstand.

"I want her to sleep peacefully," she explains.

Henry nods and then hold's Crystal's hand as she mutters the spell and puts Belle into a proper sleep.

Once the beauty lets out a sigh of relief and seems to almost smile, the two turn to each other.

"What do we do next?" Henry asks.

 _A/N: Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since I've last updated this story, but I've had a bit of writer's block. I would love some input from people about Crystal and Henry should do next? Who should they reach out to or rescue? Should they go back to help Emma or continue pursuing Rumple's aid? Please let me know any ideas you might have._


	46. Chapter 45: On the Other Side

Chapter 45: On the Other Side

"Police are still on the lookout for the murderer known as Jane Doe, a woman who we have been told is extremely mentally ill and recently killed an innocent orderly in the local hospital before escaping into the city. Every citizen is advised to be on high alert and if possible, stay indoors"

Fiona smirks to herself, sitting happily in her office, musing over the fact that she's done what was required to get control of the situation again. Whoever helped bust Belle out of the hospital would now be unable to go anywhere without being recognized and have her version of a police force come after them. Once Belle and the helpers were captured, she could kill them and her son's wife. She never really knew why she even kept the beauty alive this long… perhaps it was some form of devotion and kindness towards her dear Rumple, but enough is enough. The curse would become permanent once Emma Swan finally gave up all belief and left what was once Storybrooke forever. However, the blonde was stubborn, and the stupidity framed as her love for Henry was what was preventing her plan from finally being completed. She had to find some way to convince the Saviour that Henry would be okay if she left, and then she would have control… and darkness will have truly won. No one would ever get their happy ending and her life would be perfect.

Only if she's able to catch Belle and whoever else was with her. Based on several cell phone videos and photos, the two people with the escapee were male and female. The boy greatly resembled Henry, but Fiona had her chauffeur check and Henry was present in his class at the moment the photos and videos were taken, so it was likely someone else, but the girl was an enigma. She looked a little older than Henry, not by much; probably just leaving her teen years. The pictures taken were not completely clear, but she had brown hair and indistinguishable eyes. It could have just been a random person that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but by the way she reacted, she obviously knew of the danger she was in, was close to the Henry look-alike and managed to help Belle escape. An innocent person would have come clean immediately to get the heat off herself.

There was also something that bothered Fiona about how they escaped. According to witnesses, a nearby motorcycle suddenly backfired and created a cloud of gray smoke, providing the trio with the perfect cover to suddenly escape. And so far, no one had seen how they managed to get out of there, it was if they had literally vanished in a puff of smoke.

This detail, in particular, made the Black Fairy suspect that one of those two people had magic, likely the same magic that she'd found in the hospital basement. The problem is, she could still not pinpoint exactly where this magic had come from. She pulls the bottled sample she'd taken from the crime scene and waves her hand over it. The residue jumps to life and forms a cloud of purple within its glass prison and the colour changed continuously from dark purple to lilac. It seemed to fluctuate between dark and light magic. Like before, she still thought that it could have been Regina Mills' magic; after all she wasn't truly light or dark and that she'd somehow been able to regain her power and her memory. However, as long as the curse was in effect and the former Evil Queen had no idea of who she truly was or what she was capable of, the magic would remain dormant and suppressed. This was done to prevent a magical uprising against her. The same rules applied to her son, the Saviour, and anyone else in this town like Maleficent who still had it, so the margin for magic had dwindled to no one in her own eyes. The only one who had true access to the power was the Black Fairy herself, and her magic was as dark as her own soul. This strange specimen baffled her completely.

Fiona considers the possibility of someone from the Enchanted Forest had perhaps come to the Land Without Magic at another time and had just recently gained access to Stygian, but if that were true, then how did he or she know who Belle was and that she had to be hidden.

Her mind then comes to the name Amelia Wyatt, recalled from the rescue of Prince Phillip. Fiona had been so busy arranging for the prince and his precious Aurora to lose their baby to the parents that she'd forgotten to actually question the witness.

She puts her head in her hands, trying to recall all the details that she'd created once the curse was cast to ensure no one would ever be happy. Phillip was not adrift in a boat, she knew that much. Perhaps she should have kept a record of every specific thing she'd done to make the masses miserable.

She prays that it will come to her, but in the meantime, she needs to find a way to up the ante of the search for Belle and find those additional nuisances… and wipe them out.

However, in the impulsive move to expose the beauty's escape, she'd neglected to remember the consequences that this citywide search would cause… the massive backlash from her son and grandson.

…

Robert Gold was in his penthouse room, drinking another glass of scotch or whiskey or whatever it was, he'd lost track at this point. After an extremely boring business meeting, he'd left the office and come home to reflect. He was still very upset about his fight with Gideon; the two had not spoken since the other day and deep down… it was hurting the older man immensely. With Belle gone, his son was all he had, and he knew that he'd been the worst father imaginable, especially after she left. For as long as Robert had known Belle, he always put work first in order to provide for them, but it obviously wasn't enough and was probably the reason she'd disappeared in the first place. Things just got worse after she was gone, the businessman was unable to connect with his son and while they still talked and occasionally had lunch, they had not said 'I love you' in a very long time.

Sadly, the unaware Dark One did not know that the relationship with his son was meant to be very different and that he had another child out in the city, who would be more than willing to say those words to him.

Just as he's finishing off the enriching glass, ice clinking against the fine Crystal, Gideon bursts into the room.

"Gideon?" Robert says in confusion.

"Father you have to see this… One of my friends just texted me to turn on the news."

He goes over to the TV, picks up the remote and turns on the closest news channel. Gold usually kept it on the business network to check his stocks, but when Gideon changes the channel, nothing else mattered any longer.

The crystal glass goes shattering to the floor as Mr. Gold's mouth hangs open in absolute shock. He stands up with his cane and gets closer to ensure that what he is seeing is real. He nearly trips and falls as he is unable to tear his eyes from the screen.

Gideon's dark brown eyes are as wide as saucers and his mouth is agape in absolute horror, and tears are slowly beginning to form in his eyes. Gold's expression mirrors his son's, but there is a feeling of growing rage within himself. His mind fills with questions as Gideon turns up the volume to hear the news report.

"The suspect is considered armed, dangerous, and extremely mentally unstable. She is only known as Jane Doe and escaped from the local Stygian hospital after murdering an orderly. There are also two additional persons of interest. It is unknown if they are hostages or accomplices in the murder…"

It was hard to deny the image that is continually being flashed on the screen; the brown hair with a reddish shine and bright blue eyes, but they are not filled with kindness or happiness, but fear and confusion.

Only one word can escape Gold's mouth as he gazes upon this image.

"Belle…"

 _A/N: Sorry if this chapter is short, but the wheels might be starting to come off for Fiona. Thank you to Samii16 for your constant support and Guest for deciding to want to see things from Fiona's perspective. Please follow, favourite, and leave reviews._


	47. Chapter 46: The List

Chapter 46: The List

"What are you thinking?" Henry asks quietly.

Both he and Crystal are huddled around the TV in the living room, watching the coverage of the hunt for Belle. Even though the house is hidden by a magical cloaking spell, there were also protection spells cast, all the curtains and shades are drawn to give them a sense of security that no one is peering in through the windows. The constant "live" news reports have put them on edge... it's bad enough that Belle is being hunted by the police, but now they are implicated in the crime, even if their faces cannot be seen distinctly.

"I don't really know," Crystal shrugs. She downs a bottle of water. "It's obvious that we can't walk around freely any longer."

"Like we were able to do that in the first place?" the young author asks skeptically.

"Point taken, but with the risk of being recognized so much higher now, I honestly just want to stay in the house and wait for everything to blow over."

"You know we can't do that. We may have managed to save one member of the family, but the rest are still out there in this city in god knows what kind of conditions."

"I know..." she sighs. "The Black Fairy has made her move, now we have to counteract it."

She then stands up and in a puff of smoke transforms into someone totally different. Her hair is now blonde with dyed turquoise tips, her blue eyes are now brown, and she wears biker leather with knee-high boots and fishnet stockings.

"Too much?" she asks.

Henry tries not to cringe. "A little, but at this point, we might need to turn into hipster goth bikers."

The two smile over the shared joke. Then a thought enters Henry's mind.

"Do you think that we can just find a city directory and try to find them in there?"

"You mean like a phone book?"

"You sound very old," he teases.

Crystal sticks her tongue out at him playfully. "Just because you were born after the new millennia, doesn't make me that much older than you. There were still phonebooks in 2001. I was a later nineties kid so don't pull that."

The two of them laugh again. The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin then conjures up a Stygian phone book, which is still extremely thick despite the population of tiny Storybrooke most likely being the only permanent residents.

"Do you think the curse changed their identities completely or recycled old ones?"

"Well, my mom Regina is working as a bartender at _The Rabbit Hole_ since the Black Fairy is the mayor."

"Shut up really?" Crystal gasps. Her mind flashes back to her being in the bar with Aurora and Ashley/Ella. She didn't see Regina there and she's kind of bummed that she didn't see the former Evil Queen, the woman who truly understood what it was like to have darkness inside of oneself and she also filled the surrogate mother role for Crystal as well. "When were you there?"

"I was there with Violet the day after the curse was cast."

"You found Violet?"

"Y-yeah, I kind of ran into her by accident. Fiona forced me to go back to school in the afternoon the curse hit, and I saw her go into the boy's bathroom. Turns out there's a hole in the foundation that she uses to sneak out and smoke behind the school."

"Doesn't really sound like Violet."

Henry swallows and nods, fighting back tears. "Anyways, she took me on her motorcycle, that she named after her actual horse Nicodemus, the one who liked pumpkin. We then went to the bar and Violet paid my mom for some booze and then she took me to the impound lot to meet her gang buddies and drink."

"Sounds like my Friday nights back in New York," Crystal nods remembering her days in gangs. "Only there was a lot more fighting. And Regina was there?"

"Yeah, and she looks nothing like you'd remember. She wears jeans and leather boots."

"Seriously, no pantsuits?" Crystal says in disbelief. "Then again, who'd wear those in a bar, you're asking to get mugged."

"And she doesn't remember me at all. She's still hung up on Daniel's death, not Robin's, and she hates Fiona because apparently her chauffeur struck and killed him."

"At least she doesn't hate Snow any longer."

"Bonus," he shrugs, still hurt that his own adopted mother couldn't remember him. It breaks his heart that she's still a hateful person as if she can't ever escape that fate. "I felt like you feel with no one remembering you at all."

"It does sting doesn't it?" she says quietly, glad that their feelings are shared. "But the weird thing is, I was at _The Rabbit Hole_ the other day too, and Ashley and Aurora work there."

"We must've just missed each other," Henry says, his eyes wide with surprise about how close they were to actually meet earlier than the reunion at _Granny's_. This could have benefited them somewhat in the scheme of things.

"Yeah, I was kind of on a mission to save Philip and close that missing person's case," she adds. "Well that's four people, plus Philip Jr. and if Regina has a job and roof over her head, she's not in any immediate danger like Belle was," Crystal says. She rips out a piece of paper from the back of the phone book and gets a pen. She writes out a list of their loved ones and friends. She crosses out Belle's name and puts a check next to it, meaning she was safe, despite being frozen in the moment. She crosses out Regina, Ashley, Aurora, Philip and baby Philip too, meaning they were found and relatively safe. "I know you hate it, but she doesn't have to be high on the list right now."

Henry wants to open his mouth to protest, but he does see her reasoning. Plus getting this cursed Evil Queen to believe that she has a son would be very difficult and would require more planning on their part.

"Archie works at the hospital with Emma," she continues, crossing their names out. "Daddy dearest lives with you in the penthouse..."

"Under Robert Gold," her little brother adds.

"Okay."

"And Gideon lives there too."

Crystal swallows a lump in her throat, having wanted desperately to have met her own half-brother by now. She shakes the sadness from her mind and continues.

"What about Snow, David, and Neal?"

"That might be where we can use the phone book," the young author says taking it from the coffee table.

"What was Snow's original curse name?" Crystal asks.

"Mary Margret Blanchard," Henry answers, beginning to go through the B section.

Sure enough, he finds her name.

"Seriously? Fiona was that lazy?' Crystal says in disbelief.

"Easier than making a new identity."

"Point taken. Where does she live?"

Henry reads out the address that Rumple's daughter records, next to her curse name.

"What about David?"

"His name was Nolan," Henry says, switching sections. Sure enough, he finds the name

"Laziness to the max," Crystal smirks.

"And it looks like he's married to Kathryn."

"Who's that again?"

"She's King Midas's daughter, Abigail and her real love is Fredrick."

"Seriously, change it up a little bit... this is so easy. And hopefully, this means that Neal is probably with either of his parents."

"Don't be so confident," Henry warns. "This is probably going to get harder."

"We know that Granny still has her place," Crystal continues. "And August is around."

"Do you think he'd remember anything?"

"Probably not."

"What about the wicked witch?"

"Zelena? She's never had a curse name before, except when she pretended to be a mid-wife."

"Do you think she'd have Regina's last name; they are sisters after all?"

Henry searches and does find an apartment address with the matching name. Crystal records it.

"That leaves Killian..." Henry concludes.

He looks under Jones, but there's nothing. He does a quick scan through each page, hoping that the hook-handed man kept his first name and it's his last one that changed. The young teenager's heart sinks lower.

"He's not in here at all!"

"That's a problem," she says.

"Do you think the Black Fairy..." he stops mid-sentence and shudders.

Crystal swallows heavily. "Let's not think about that. Let's just have hope and go look for him."

"How?"

"Remember the underground vault we found?"

"Yeah."

"I'm guessing his hook is in there and if not, we use his severed hand..."

The two grimace in disgust.

"Let's hope the hook is still there," Henry agrees.

"Now for disguise. Do you want to be a vaping hipster? Or an emo with bangs?"

 _A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a bit boring, but Crystal and Henry do need to plan out their next move. Don't think that finding Killian is going to be easy though, Fiona still has some tricks up her sleeve to smoke out Belle and the others._


End file.
